As many as 1,095 circulars have been deleted so far and about 630 foreign members of the Tablighi Jamaat have left India, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday.
Many foreign Tablighi Jamaat members are stuck in India for violating visa rules and pandemic restrictions. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava has reported that he has been looking into it. He said that the ministry is actively expediting their consular access, deletion of LOCs, and smooth repatriation to their respective countries.
“We have kept the respective foreign embassies informed through the entire process,” he stated. “As of August 24, 1,095 look out circulars (LOCs) were deleted and 630 foreign members of the Tablighi Jamaat have left India,” he added in an online media briefing.
These Tablighi Jamaat members were charged under the Foreigners Act for allegedly indulging in activities that were conflicting with their visa status, he reported. Therefore, for such activities, the appropriate category of VISA has to be sought, Srivastava stated.
During the online briefing, he was questioned if the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting next month. Srivastava said the minister has been invited for the conference, which will be held in Moscow. A decision on his participation would be made known once taken.
Upon being questioned if the Kerala government had summoned MEA’s approval to sign an MoU with the UAE Red Crescent Authority for a new project, Srivastava confirmed that no such permission has been taken yet.
