BJP MP announces reward for info on people with foreign travel history

He said many did not report to the authorities and "are living without proper testing

1207646943 A medical official measure the temperature of a passenger using an infrared thermometer, following outbreak of Coronavirus at Dimapur railway station, in India north eastern state of Nagaland on 19 March 2020. (Photo by Caisii Mao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

BJP MP Ravindra Kushawaha said on Saturday that he would give a cash reward of Rs 11,000 to anyone providing specific information about people, including Tablighi Jamaat members, who hid information about their travels and avoided screening for COVID-19.

 The MP from UP’s Salempur constituency claimed in a statement that several people, who had been to Tablighi Jamaat congregations or any foreign country, did not report to the authorities and "are living without proper testing". Such people need to inform the administration about their travel history and undergo test for the novel coronavirus, he said, adding that anyone providing specific information about such people would be rewarded.

A Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month emerged as a major coronavirus hotspot after many of its participants carried the infection to several parts of the country. Soon after the Delhi congregation came into news, the district police had asked those who had attended it to report to the authorities, but no one turned up.

The district has not reported any COVID-19 case so far.