Meerut, Apr 19 (IANS): A controversial advertisement by a cancer specialist hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut said Muslim patients and their caretakers coming to the hospital must test negative for Covid-19, failing which they won't be admitted.

The management of the hospital also asked Muslims to carry their coronavirus test reports as proof.

The advertisement by Valentis Cancer Hospital adds that in case of emergency, the patient and their attendants will be admitted but they will be tested for Covid-19 immediately. The cost for the test i.e., Rs 4,500 each will be taken from the patient. The reasons cited by the hospital included the alleged misbehaviour of the members of the 'Tablighi Jamaat' (TJ), who, the ad said, had contributed to the spread of coronavirus infection in the country.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed an FIR against the owner of Valentis Hospital over the matter.

Speaking to IANS, Meerut SSP Ajay Kumar Sahni said: "We have filed a case against the hospital for this inappropriate and communal advertisement and investigation is underway."

The quarter-page advertisement in a famous Hindi daily published on April 17 also described the Jain community as :miserly" and appealed to them to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund. However, a day later, the hospital issued another advertisement in the same paper where it regretted if the first advertisement hurt the feelings of any community.