At least 1,1551 Tablighi Jamaat members identified in UP: Official

Lucknow, Apr 7 () At least 1,551 people linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation have been identified in Uttar Pradesh so far and 1,257 of them put under quarantine, an official said on Tuesday.

Over 230 Jamaat members have been put under quarantine in Meerut, followed by Bareilly 227, Varanasi and Gorakhpur 213 each, Agra 131, Kanpur 106, Lucknow 92, Gautam Budh Nagar 26 and Allahabad 17, Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Awasthi said.

Out of the total 323 foreign nationals found in the state so far, the passports of 259 have been seized, he said, adding that the remaining 64 are Nepalese.

The additional chief secretary appealed to the people to help trace the Jamaat members who last month attended a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, a COVID-19 hotspot.

Awasthi said foodgrains distribution in the state has gained momentum and over 2.87 crore ration card holders have benefitted from it till Tuesday afternoon.

The state has released 11,728 prison inmates to prevent them from coronavirus infection, he said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued directions to cover all those directly associated with checking COVID-19, including policemen, under insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs, he said.

The government has taken a strong view on fake news on social media platforms and 54 such cases have been registered, Awasthi added. SAB DPB