In a major decision, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has clamped down the foreign Tablighi Jamaat members who came on tourist visas to join the Markaz. These foreign attendees have been banned from coming to India for 10 years.
According to information received from top sources, these foreign attendees came to India on tourist visas and were involved in the activities of Tablighi Jamaat. These foreigners are now banned for 10 years for violating visa regulations. It is being told that 2,550 foreigners were members of the Tablighi Jamaat, who visited India and participated in religious activities across the country on tourist visas. It is being speculated that the number may increase further.
According to information from sources, blacklisted foreigners include citizens of Mali, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania, South, Africa, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, UK (OCI card holders) Australia and Nepal. The Nizamuddin Markaz is the largest centre of Islamic education in the world. People from many countries keep coming here. More than 5,000 people came here from 1-15 March to attend the Tablighi Jamaat.
In these, citizens of many countries came to join, including Mali, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, etc.
Action against the foreign Tablighi Jamaat members was first taken after 2,300 people including 250 foreigners belonging to the Islamic organisation were found to be living in the headquarter located at Delhi’s Nizamuddin soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced in March. Several of these members had tested positive for corona.
The Jamaat’s leadership is already being probed for violating norms under the epidemic diseases law, while its volunteers from abroad have been booked for violating visa norms and the Foreigners Act.