Ajit Pawar says Jan Ashirwad Yatras will impact Covid-19 numbers in state

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader also said that the effect of these rallies will be seen in the coming days if Covid-19 cases rise at the locations where these rallies will be held.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar targeted the Centre on Sunday accusing them of violating the Covid-19 preventative measures imposed by them through the Jan Ashirwad Yatras organised by the newly inducted Union Cabinet ministers.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar criticised BJP's Jan Ashirwad Rally ( Uday Deolekar/HT Photo)

“On one hand, the central government is asking us to take appropriate measures (to contain the spread of Covid-19) and on the other, it is asking its four newly-inducted ministers (from Maharashtra) to take out rallies and yatras. The gatherings in these rallies will impact the spread of Covid-19,” the deputy chief minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader also said that the effect of these rallies will be seen in the coming days if Covid-19 cases rise at the locations where these rallies were held. “In the next few days, we will see the effect of these rallies wherever they are taking place. If Covid-19 cases rise in the areas where the rallies are taking place, who will be responsible for it?” Ajit Pawar said.

MVA’s criticism of Jan Ashirwad Yatras

The Maha Vikas Aghadi, which consists of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, earlier also expressed their criticism towards the Jan Ashirwad Yatras which were undertaken by Union Cabinet ministers who hail from the state.

Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire last week claimed the Jan Ashirwad Rally in Aurangabad lasted past 10pm, flouting Covid-19 rules, according to a PTI report. The Sena mouthpiece Samaana said that these rallies were meant to ‘hypnotise’ people.

It was also during one of these rallies that Union minister Narayan Rane last week allegedly said that he would "slap" Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, which led to the Union minister’s arrest and clashes between cadres of the BJP and the Shiv Sena in Mumbai and across several places in Maharashtra.