Kaza: Tribal women accuse minister of violating lockdown guidelines

Tribal women in Spiti turned away the agriculture and tribal affairs minister who was visiting tabo-Buddhist centre to inspect ongoing work of roads being constructed

Tribal women in Spiti turned away the agriculture and tribal affairs minister who was visiting tabo-Buddhist centre to inspect ongoing work of roads being constructed by the BRO.

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The women led by Mahila Mandal Kaza, stopped Ram Lal Markanday from entering Kaza. They raised slogans against the civil administration and accused the minister of violating lockdown guidelines. The women were agitated over repeated visits of the minister to Kaza as the locals have unanimously decided to keep the area sealed and not allow outsiders to enter. They stopped the minister at the entry point of Spiti.

They demanded that the minister should be quarantined. The locals told the minister that they are keeping a strict vigil on entry of outsiders much before PM Modi enforced lockdown to contain spread of coronavirus.

“The reason for my visit was to review the ongoing strike of workers engaged by BRO for construction of border roads,” said Markanday in a video message. “The local officers reached Kaza and asserted that the workers be quarantined but I directed that the labourers should be quarantined at Sumdoh,” he added.

“It appears that the women are politically motivated by my rivals. In the wake of the protest, I returned from Kaza,” said Markanday.