The Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the Bhind district administration to ensure that COVID-19 precautionary protocols are followed while allowing gatherings and take penal action in case of violation.
A Division Bench of Justices Sheel Nagu and Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava gave the order on Monday while hearing a public interest litigation petition that flagged the BJP organising gatherings during a three-day membership drive in Gwalior, Morena and Bhind districts on August 22-24 which may lead to the further spread of the pandemic.
While disposing of the petition filed by Hemant Singh Rana, a Congressman, the court directed the Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP), Bhind, to ensure the following of all precautionary protocols as per the guidelines issued by government of India, the Supreme Court and the State government from time to time while allowing any gathering/congregation of persons of any nature.
Further, it said in case the Collector and the SP found any violation of the precautionary protocols, then appropriate preventive or penal action should be taken in accordance with law. The court has asked the respondents to file a compliance report of the order within 15 days.
Also read: Coronavirus | In Madhya Pradesh, power play during a pandemic
Representing the petitioner, lawyer Rajiv Sharma argued before the court that the BJP gatherings would lead to congregation of people from different places and cause further spread of COVID-19 “already at its peak” in the Gwalior-Chambal region where several areas had been declared containment zones.
“I had mailed the petition to the court’s Chief Justice on August 21 and requested for an urgent hearing,” Mr. Sharma told The Hindu.
Additional Advocate General Ankur Mody prayed for listing the matter a day later so that he could seek instructions, which was rejected by the court. He submitted that as regards gatherings in Gwalior and Morena, the petition was “rendered infructuous” as they were held on August 22 and 23.
Case against Jyotiraditya sought
Meanwhile, the Congress demanded a police case be registered against Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP State president V.D. Sharma and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar for taking part in the gatherings, thereby violating COVID-19 safety guidelines.
“Laws are equal for everyone in our country, in which there is no discrimination between ‘Maharaj’ [reference to Mr. Scindia] and the common people,” contended K.K. Mishra, media incharge, Gwalior-Chambal Congress, in a letter to the police on Monday.
On Saturday, a case was registered against Congress workers in Gwalior for organising a gathering and reportedly violating norms. “Similarly, it is expected you will act in an impartial manner and register an FIR against BJP leaders for violating guidelines,” said Mr. Mishra.
“The BJP took permission from the administration and followed its dos and don’ts while organising the events,” claimed Rajneesh Agrawal, BJP State spokesman. “The Congress should look within first. They have violated guidelines at recent events in Badnawar and Hatpipliya.”
The Congress itself violated safety protocols by organising a protest against the membership drive, contended Pankaj Chaturvedi, Mr. Scindia’s spokesman. “If the Congress feels an FIR should be registered, the law is equal for everyone. Further, voters will teach them a lesson in the forthcoming byelection,” he said.
Published - August 25, 2020 12:07 pm IST
