BJP MLA Demands Military Deployment in Nagpur Locality to Check Spread of Coronavirus

A Maharashtra BJP MLA has demanded deployment of the military in a locality in Nagpur claiming it had several COVID-19 patients and many residents

had links to the Tablighi Jamaat event last month in Nizamuddin in Delhi.

Nagpur East MLA Krishna Khopde on Monday said he had spoken to the municipal commissioner and demanded deployment of the military in Satranjipura as its residents had not cooperated when the civic body conducted surveys in the initial days of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Many coronavirus positive patients have been found in Satranjipura. However, some weeks ago, when the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) was carrying out surveys, the residents had not cooperated. If they had offered support to the survey at that time, we would not been facing this situation," Khopde said.

"The densely populated area of Satranjipura should be handed over to the military. It will also force those with Markaz (Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin) links to come forward. I have spoken to the municipal commissioner about it and demanded deployment of the military," he claimed.

The Tablighi Jamaat event is being seen as a major reasons for the coronavirus spread as several of the attendees, who tested positive later, fanned out across the country on preaching assignments.

Meanwhile, the NMC on Monday declared localities like Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Nagpur Ward no 3, Ashi Nagar Zone 3 and Ward no 5, which is Satranjipura zone' as "prohibited area" and sealed them off to stall the spread of the virus.