Karnataka: Official halts group prayer in mosque

KOLAR: A government official stopped a group of people praying inside a mosque in Kolar, about 66km from Bengaluru, on Thursday evening, reminding them that large gatherings were not allowed during the lockdown. The official, tahsildar Shobhitha, asked Kolar police to register a case for the violation.
The group included workers from a nearby vegetable market.They told officials that they had not prayed at the mosque for a month and thought that new relaxations announced included congregational prayers. They expressed regret.
Shobhitha told TOI that a resident called her office, alleging that restrictions were being violated. Because of the sensitivity of the issue, she personally visited the mosque and found people praying inside. “I respect all religions. However, people must understand that the risk of coronavirus infection increases in large gatherings,” she said.
The local community supported Shobhitha’s actions. Afrose Pasha, a former president of Kolar City Municipal Council, said the tahsildar had entered the mosque in her capacity as the taluk magistrate and there was nothing wrong with it. “She intervened with the sole intention of preventing the spread of coronavirus,” he added.