‘2,100 Foreigners in India for Tablighi Activities This Year’: MHA

The home ministry said as on 21 March 216 of them were staying at Nizamuddin Markaz.

People wearing masks leave for hospital in a bus from Nizamuddin area, after several people showed symptoms of coronavirus following taking part in a religious gathering a few days ago, during the nationwide lockdown, in New Delhi, Monday, 30 March.

(Photo: PTI)

The government on Tuesday, 31 March, said as many as 2,100 foreigners visited India for Tablighi activities since 1 January and all of them first reported at its headquarters in Delhi's Nizamuddin, which has apparently become a coronavirus hotspot.

In a statement, the home ministry said while approximately 824 of them, as on 21 March, were dispersed in different parts of the country, 216 of them were staying at Nizamuddin Markaz, where several of them tested COVID-19 positive.

It is estimated that from 1 January onwards, approximately 2100 foreigners had visited India for Tabligh activities, the statement said.

Tablighi Jamaat workers, both foreigners as well Indians, indulge in preaching tours or Chilla across the country throughout the year. Various nationals, particularly from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan come for Tabligh activities.

All such foreign nationals normally report their arrival at Tabligh Markaz at Banglewali Mosque in Hazrat Nizamuddin, the statement said.

From here, they are detailed for Chilla activities to different parts of the country.

Chilla activities in all states are coordinated by district coordinators in different districts, who, in turn, in some states are supervised by 'state Amirs'.

"As on March 21, there were about 1,746 people staying in Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz. Of these, 216 were foreigners and 1530 were Indians. Additionally, about 824 foreigners had been, as on March 21, doing Chilla activities in various parts of the country," it said.