Covid norms go for a toss during political gatherings in Baroda

The BJP, INLD, Congress and Loktantra Suraksha party leaders have been holding meetings and rallies in villages of the constituency, which is going to polls on November 3.

People in Haryana’s Baroda assembly constituency have been gathering in large numbers to attend political meetings and rallies without following Covid-19 norms even as the state continues to register ample infections daily.

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The BJP, INLD, Congress and Loktantra Suraksha party leaders have been holding meetings and rallies in villages of the constituency, which is going to polls on November 3. People in the constituency wait to get a glimpse of their leader and nobody follows social distancing or wears masks.

Haryana’s nodal officer for Covid-19, Dhruva Chaudhary, said political parties should educate their cadre to implement government guidelines for the pandemic. “The party workers and politicians should wear a face mask and wash their hands regularly,” he added.

A doctor from Rohtak’s PGIMS, on condition of anonymity, said such large gatherings could emerge as super spreader of the virus and people should not take it lightly. “Politicians should refrain from organising big rallies. A large number of people attend the public meetings and rallies and mostly nobody wears a face mask. It is the responsibility of every politician to adhere to safety guidelines and then pass these instructions to their followers,” the doctor said.