COVID-19: BJP MLA demands military presence in Nagpur locality

Nagpur, Apr 13 () A Maharashtra BJP MLA hasdemanded deployment of the military in a locality in Nagpurclaiming it had several COVID-19 patients and many residentshad links to the Tablighi Jamaat event last month inNizamuddin in Delhi.

Nagpur East MLA Krishna Khopde on Monday said he hadspoken to the municipal commissioner and demanded deploymentof the military in Satranjipura as its residents had notcooperated when the civic body conducted surveys in theinitial days of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Many coronavirus positive patients have been found inSatranjipura. However, some weeks earlier, when the NagpurMunicipal Corporation was carrying out surveys, the residentshad not cooperated. If they had offered support to the surveyat that time, we would not been facing this situation," Khopdesaid.

"The densely populated area of Satranjipura should behanded over to the military. It will also force those withMarkaz (Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin) links to comeforward. I have spoken to the municipal commissioner about itand demanded deployment of the military," he claimed.

The Tablighi Jamaat event is being seen as one of thebiggest reasons for the coronavirus outbreak as several of theattendees, who tested positive later, fanned out across thecountry on preaching assignments.

Meanwhile, the NMC on Monday declared localities likeRajiv Gandhi Nagar, Nagpur Ward no 3, Ashi Nagar Zone 3 andWard no 5, which is Satranjipura zone' as "prohibited area"and sealed them off to stall the spread of the virus. CLSBNM BNM