The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Monday came down heavily on the organisers of the religious event at Nizamuddin in Delhi that has emerged as a new COVID-19 hotspot in the country. Addressing the media in New Delhi through video conferencing, RSS joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya referred to the number of coronavirus cases linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi and said, “Figures tell the truth.”
The RSS leader noted that the Sangh previously cancelled its pratinidhi sabha in Bengaluru scheduled on March 15 and suggested that Tablighi Jamaat could have also called off their congregation considering the situation.
The Nizamuddin area in the national capital has emerged as the new COVID-19 hotspot in the country where a religious gathering was organised last month, defying the curbs imposed by the government on public gatherings. The event was attended by over 2,000 from across the country. Many of them tested positive for coronavirus later, resulting in a sudden spurt in numbers of positive cases and risking millions of lives.
According to the Union Health Ministry data, the rate of doubling of coronavirus cases in India, which currently stands at 4.1 days, would have stood at 7.4 days had it not been for the cases linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event.
Meanwhile, Vaidya also announced that the Sangh has decided to cancel its all events till June. “Keeping in mind the present situation, the Sangh has canceled more than 90 Sangh education classes and all other public and collective programs to be held from April to June,” he said.
Vaidya further heaped praise on the Modi government over its timely action to contain the spread of coronavirus. He said that the country’s leadership has taken some decisive steps which got public support. “India handled the COVID-19 situation comparatively better than developed nations,” he said.
He also said that the Sangh has been working to lower the level of coronavirus spread and help those in the need due to the lockdown. He noted that the RSS has started helplines to feeding poor and daily wagers and helped over 25.5 lakh people during lockdown so far.
