50 Tablighi event attendees from Maha incommunicado: Minister
He urged those people to voluntarily come forward andget in touch with the state government authorities.
The state government will quarantine them and takecare of them if they approach the authorities, he said.
Deshmukh said the congregation organised by TablighiJamaat at Nizamuddin in New Delhi last month was attended bynearly 4,000 people.
Several of these attendees later tested positive forcoronavirus, while some of them have died of the disease.
The congregation was attended by 1,400 people fromMaharashtra.
The state government has till now traced andquarantined 1,350 of them, Deshmukh said.
"And the remaining 50 who have returned have kepttheir mobiles (phones) switched off. Hence, we urge them tovoluntarily approach the government," he told a news channel.
The government will quarantine and take care of thesepeople to ensure the coronavirus does not spread in otherparts of the state, the NCP leader said.
"For this, they should surrender before our police andcooperate with the state government. We will trace them andtake strict action against them if they do not surrenderbefore us, he warned.
Deshmukh also praised the Maharashtra Police fordenying permission to a Nizamuddin-like congregation in theVasai area of Palghar district last month, saying it containedpossible spread of the disease.
He further warned that attacks on policemen, doctorsand nurses -- who are at the forefront of containing thespread of the coronavirus -- will not be tolerated.
Deshmukh said police will deal with such individualsin their style if such assaults continued.
"At least 52 cases of policemen and doctors beingattacked took place in Maharashtra. We have arrested 172people in connection with these incidents, he added. ENMGK GK