Not wrong to shoot hiding attendees of Jamaat event: K'taka BJP MLA

Bengaluru, Apr 7 () A BJP legislator in Karnataka onTuesday alleged that some of the attendees of the Tablighi-Jamaat event in Delhi have been 'purposely evading' testingfor coronavirus despite appeals, and said such it was "notwrong" to shoot such people.

Accusing them of indirectly indulging in an act ofterrorism, MLA M P Renukacharya, who is also a politicalsecretary to Chief Minister Yediyurappa, however said, it waswrong to blame the whole community for the misdeeds of few.

Tablighi-Jamaat congregation held at Nizamuddin in Delhilast month has turned out to be thehotbedof COVID-19 spreadin the country. "... one thing is true, some of those who had been tocongregation at Nizamuddin, despite appeal made by PM and CM,purposely are trying evade citing religious reasons," he said.

Speaking to reporters in Davangere, the BJP MLA said itlooks like while dying they want to kill others also.

If those who had returned after attending the Jamaat hadgone to the doctor there would'thavebeen any problem,Renukacharya said.

Charging some of the attendees with indulging in "anti-national" deeds, he said it was not wrong to say that thosespreading virus are indirectly indulging in terrorism.

Further calling those purposely spreading virus onreligious grounds as "traitors," he said, "those who attendedTablighi-Jamaat congregation and have not come out fortreatment and escaped, government should not protect them.. itis not wrong to shoot them with a bullet."

"Because of some people, everyone, whole country willhave to suffer... at leastnow they have to cooperate,"hesaid.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa during aninterview to a news channel on Monday had warned of actionagainst those blaming the entire Muslim community for isolatedincidents.

BJP state General Secretary Arvind Limbavali questioningthe intentions of attendees of Tablighi-Jamaat congregation,who have not come out for medical consultations, urged thegovernment take strict action against them.

"enough time has been given, those who have not come outarrest them in 24 hours... they are the ones who are cause ofspreading...

there is no question of any religion in this, this is amatter of health of the society and state," he said.

On Tablighi-Jamaat congregation attendees, thegovernment said from around 920 people samples that have beencollected so far, 623 are negative, 27 positive, remainingresults are still awaited.

The government is yet to share total number of peoplefrom the state who had attended the congregation. KSU ROH ROH