New Delhi : The Government of India has ‘banned’ over 2,200 blacklisted foreign nationals for 10 years from travelling to India for their involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities, said the government sources on Thursday.
It means that none of them would be allowed in any circumstances to travel to India as a visa will not be issued to them.
In April this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had blacklisted 960 foreigners for violating visa rules after they were found involved in Tablighi activities.
“Under the directions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the MHA has blacklisted 960 foreigners, present in India on tourist visas, for their involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities,” Home Ministry had said in April.
These foreigners were involved in Tablighi activities and went to Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz, which became the major source of spreading COVID-19.
The Home Ministry had earlier said that about 2,100 foreigners visited India for activities of the organisation since January 1 this year.
“While approximately 824 of them, as on March 21, were dispersed in different parts of the country, 216 of them were staying at Nizamuddin Markaz. Others might have left the country before the lockdown,” the MHA had said.
A large number of Indian Tablighi Jamaat workers were also involved in the activities of the organisation in different parts of the country. Details of these 824 foreigners had been shared on March 21 with the state police forces for identifying them, getting them medically screened and quarantining them.
The MHA had sent an advisory to all states in this regard on March 28 and March 29.
On March 28, the MHA issued a detailed advisory to Chief Secretaries and DGPs of all states, as well as CP Delhi, on this issue.
The State DGPs were again advised by the Director of the Intelligence Bureau on March 29 to trace the movement of all such Tablighi workers in their areas, ascertain the people coming in their contacts and take steps for their medical screening. (ANI)
