In the wake of coronavirus scare in the state, a pro-CAA rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah which was scheduled to be held on March 15 in Hyderabad, has been postponed. The new date of the meeting would be announced later.
"This decision was taken to reduce mass physical contact of people during the public rally,in the current context of serious precautions being undertaken by the Central Government to arrest the spread of coronavirus," said Telangana state BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao.
Amit Shah and other BJP leaders were scheduled to address the rally at LB Stadium in Hyderabad. A Hyderabad techie who had returned from Dubai tested positive for the virus on Monday.
On Wednesday, tension prevailed in the city, after an employee from DSM company in Raheja Mindspace, Hyderabad, who recently travelled to Italy, was suspected to have coronavirus. However, even before the Centre could confirm if the patient had indeed tested positive, the company wrongly stated that their employee had contracted the virus. This premature conclusion triggered a panic reaction, as several companies in building no. 20 in Mindspace, asked their employees to leave for home. The news spread causing fear and panic among Hyderabad residents.
Appealing companies to maintain restraint, IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said, "This was not necessary as it creates unnecessary panic among people. This is why we have appealed to them to consult either the IT department or the Cyberabad Police Commissioner or the Cyberabad Security Council before taking any such decision."
Meanwhile, Jayesh Ranjan informed that DSM had 350 employees but only 23 of them were employed in the section where the patient was working, and they have been asked to quarantine themselves at home until further orders.
Another person, a sanitation worker from Apollo Hospital, who came in contact with the Dubai returned techie, is suspected to be infected with the virus.