Foreigners Made "Scapegoat" Over Covid: Court On Islamic Sect Event

The foreign nationals who attended a religious event at Delhi's Nizamuddin in March were "virtually" persecuted and blamed for spreading coronavirus as part of a propaganda, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court observed on Friday, dismissing cases filed against 29 foreigners. It also commented that they were made "scapegoat" by political governments.

Hundreds of people - both foreigners and locals - were tested positive for coronavirus after they had either attended the Tablighi Jamaat event or had come in contact with the followers of the Islamic sect. Visa violation cases were registered against the foreign nationals who had attended the congregation.

The event had turned out to be the biggest coronavirus cluster in the country.

"There was big propaganda in print media and electronic media against the foreigners who had come to Markaz Delhi and an attempt was made to create a picture that these foreigners were responsible for spreading COVID-19 virus in India. There was virtually persecution against these foreigners," the court said in its order.

"A political government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity and the circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them scapegoats," it added.

The 29 foreign nationals were booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and Foreigner's Act for allegedly violating their tourist visa conditions by attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation.

The court said that action against the petitioners should not have been taken.

"It is now high time for the concerned to repent about this action taken against the foreigners and to take some positive steps to repair the damage done by such action," the court said.

The court also said the foreigners' visit to religious places was not a prohibited activity.

"During the situation created by COVID-19 pandemic, we need to show more tolerance and need to be more sensitive towards our guests, particularly like the present petitioners. Instead of helping them, we lodged them in jails by making allegations that they were responsible for violation of travel documents and that they are responsible for spreading coronavirus," the court said.