BHADRAKALI TEMPLE, AHMEDABAD & PAVAGADH

CHOTILA CHAMUNDA MANDIR & KHODALDHAM

JETALPUR MANDIR & AMBAJI

(Top to Bottom) ISKCON TEMPLE, AHMEDABAD, DWARKA & HATKESHWAR, VADNAGAR

With the Tablighi Jamaat event being linked to COVID-19 cases, a humanitarian disaster of this scale has fallen into the communal trap. But Mirror Check reveals ‘coviblunders’ know no religion. Even famous temples in Gujarat saw huge footfalls of thousands daily, three days after the Jamaat event concludedAs the rest of the world battles the coronavirus together, the debate around the deadly pandemic that has infected 1,600 and killed 38 in India alone — religion, age, gender no bar — has suddenly turned communal. Reason: At least seven are dead and 70 have tested positive after over a 1,000 attended religious gathering organised by Tablighi Jamat, a Muslim missionary movement, at its headquarters in New Delhi from March 13-15.The Delhi police have already filed a case of criminal conspiracy against the organisers for flouting Centre’s guidelines and not maintaining social distancing norms. But it is rather unfair and reeks of hypocrisy to corner one particular religion when even renowned Hindu temples allowed in thousands on their premises, without any restriction, days after the Markaz congregation.Why no action against them? Mirror spoke to the authorities these temples, seeking to know the footfalls on March 18-19. Here is what we found.—Inputs: Nikunj Soni, Ojas Mehta, Niyati Rana, Alok Brahmbhatt, Kuldeep Tiwari, Megha Bhatt, Nischal Sanghavi, Kulsum Yusuf