Directive from Centre to screen Rohingya’s for COVID on backburner in Telangana

Hyderabad: Even as the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has directed all States and UTs, including Telangana to start screening of Rohingya Muslims in their areas, the Telangana Government seems to be in no hurry to carry out the process. Despite the MHA asking states to take “necessary measures in this regard on priority”, stressing the urgency in the matter, the State government does not seem to have moved in this direction.

Sources informed that all the Rohingya Muslims residing in Hyderabad and other parts of the State are asymptomatic and they were all tested for the virus in the initial days and none of them were found to be positive. However, it may be noted that four Rohingya nationals who were caught at a mosque in Nalgonda district, were tested positive.

They have connections in Hyderabad and surrounding areas. While the State government is claiming to have been proactive in containing the virus and even alerting the Central Government on the Tablighi Jamaat at Markaz in Delhi, this ‘relaxed’ attitude is raising questions on their claims.

Furthermore, the sources informed that they have not received any communication from the MHA as is being circulated in the media and even if they receive any communication, they may have to take up the process, only after the State Government takes a call and issues necessary orders in this regard. While the Medical and Health Department is clueless on any such development, the State police department has denied receiving any such directions from the MHA.

However, these claims by the police and other departments are raising eyebrows. The exercise to screen Rohingya Muslims it is being doubted could trigger a panic among other residents leading to law and order problems. The officials seem to sense trouble in implementing the direction to screen Rohingya’s and their contacts irrespective of their health condition and asymptomatic nature.

The MHA had earlier informed all the States that Rohingya Muslims had attended Ijtemas and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat. It had thus flagged the possibility of them being infected with COVID-19.

Rohingya’s residing in camps in Hyderabad, Telangana had also attended Tablighi jamaat Ijtema at Mewat, Haryana and had visited Nizamuddin Markaz at New Delhi.

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