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Navjot Sidhu defies CM’s order to wear masks at public places
Even as Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has made wearing masks mandatory for everyone at public places in the state as a measure to combat Covid-19 outbreak,
Even as Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has made wearing masks mandatory for everyone at public places in the state as a measure to combat Covid-19 outbreak, Congress MLA from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu continues to step out from his house without mask.
On Saturday, Sidhu was out to donate 1,000 N95 masks to frontline healthcare personnel of Amritsar and Taran Tarn civil hospitals, and the Government Medical College here. It was his fifth public visit since curfew was imposed in Punjab and he did not wear mask during any of these visits.
On Friday, he was among the people of his Amritsar east constituency to distribute ration. The persons accompanying him in his SUV were also without masks.
In a video conference with state officials on Friday, the CM ordered police not to spare anyone moving around without masks.
In his first visit after the lockdown, Sidhu reached out to the people of his constituency on March 31 to distribute essential grocery items to them. On April 9, he visited Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) to distribute masks and sanitisers to hospital staff. Six coronavirus patients were undergoing treatment at the hospital at that time.
On the same day, the CM ordered that wearing masks will be mandatory in the state and asked the health secretary to issue detailed guidelines in this regard.
On April 13, Sidhu distributed protection kits to healthcare and sanitisation workers at GNDH, again without mask.
Notably, Amritsar commissioner of police (CP) Sukhchain Singh Gill on Saturday issued a statement that the police will not make any compromise in cases of violation of the CM’s directions and action will be taken against anyone found at a public place without mask. Gill, however, was not available for comments over Sidhu’s violation despite HT repeated phone calls.
To a media query on Friday as to why he did not wear mask, Sidhu kept mum and just smiled. Through social media later, he cited WHO guidelines, saying a healthy person does not need to wear a mask.
