SC Asks Govt If Farmers Are COVID-Protected, Cites Tablighi Event

A bench headed by Chief Justice Bobde questioned SG Tushar Mehta, “You must tell us what’s happening?”

The matter was brought up while the court was hearing a plea regarding the Tablighi Jamaat event in March 2020. 

(Photo: PTI)

Amid large scale farmer protests around the national capital, the Supreme Court on Thursday, 7 January asked the Central government if the protestors were ‘protected from COVID-19’, while hearing a plea regarding the Tablighi Jamaat event in March 2020, ANI reported.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde questioned Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, “You must tell us what’s happening?” To which he replied saying that he would inform the court of the situation within two weeks, NDTV reported.

The matter was brought up amid the ongoing hearing of a plea filed by Supriya Pandita through her advocate Omprakash Parihar. Pandita had moved the Apex Court asking about the role of the Central and Delhi government in allowing the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in March 2020.

The CJI went on to link the Tablighi event, which was termed as a ‘super spreader’ by a specific wing of the media, to the farmer protests, saying, “Same problem may arise in the farmers’ protest too. We are trying to ensure that Covid-19 does not spread. Ensure [that] guidelines issued are followed,” IANS reported.

Tablighi Jamaat’s Aftermath

In March 2020, the Tablighi Jamaat congregation was a huge event held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, which was attended by many. Consequently, it was blamed for the surge in coronavirus infections across the country in the initial phases of the lockdown.

However, in the same month, the Bombay High Court had denied several reports against foreign nationals and others who attended the Muslim event, citing a lack of evidence to support that they were super spreaders.

In one of its judgements, the High Court had said that the foreigners had been made ‘scapegoats’ and the allegations against them were an ‘indirect warning to Indian Muslims’, Scroll. in reported.

(With inputs from IANS, ANI, NDTV and Scroll.in)