NCOV: Maha, TN CMS appeal against giving communal colour

MUMBAI/CHENNAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said there is another virus of divisiveness apart from the coronavirus as he and his Tamil Nadu counterpart K Palaniswami appealed against giving communal colour to the spread of this viral infection in the country.

The appeal by Thackeray and Palaniswamy came on a day when their Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath alleged that the "intentional violation of social distancing norms or spreading of chaos", despite the lockdown, is part of a well planned conspiracy by people who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month. The event in Nizamuddin West area has become a major hotpot for the spread of COVID19 with the Centre saying at least 1,023 of the nearly 3,200 confirmed cases of infection in the country have been found to be linked to just one place", a reference to the congregation.

Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajeev Bindal alleged that Tablighi Jamaat members are moving like human bombs to thwart efforts by the country to curb the spread of coronavirus which has accounted for nearly 100 deaths. The Centre and state governments are leaving no stone unturned in the decisive fight against the COVID19 but some people including Tablighi Jamaat members are moving like human bombs to thwart their efforts, he said in a statement. In a webcast, Chief

Minister Thackeray, the Shiv Sena supremo, also warned of strict action against people who spread communally divisive messages on social media, in an apparent reference to hateful messages being spread on social media against a minority community. Chief Minister Palaniswami appealed against giving communal colour to the spread of the contagion and requested people to avoid religious congregations and strictly maintain social distancing.