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3 MPs, 2 MLAs asked to quarantine themselves in Kerala, Congress cries foul
The district administration has refuted allegations of politics and said more than 100 people including 50 journalists, 60 police officers, two-dozen medical and revenue officials were asked to proceed on quarantine.
The district medical board in Kerala’s Palakkad on Thursday directed three MPs and two MLAs to go on 14-day home quarantine after a young man they interacted with on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border on May 9 tested positive for Covid-19.
There were chaos in Waylayar check post a couple of days back after Kerala denied permission to its people who came without passes from the originating destination and the state’s entry pass. In the melee one of the youth from Malappuram had collapsed and had to be given first aid. The young man who had come from Chennai tested positive two days ago.
Congress MPs Remya Haridas, T N Prathapan and V K Sreekandan and legislators Anil Akkara and Shafi Parambhil had visited the check post to distribute food and other essentials to the stranded people. The MPs dubbed the quarantine order as politically-motivated but said they will go by the directive of the district administration. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also criticised the order.
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“As public servants it is our duty to go by the directive. But we suspect some foul play in this. We went there in the afternoon after TV channels reported that the youth collapsed in the morning. He was tested positive on May 11. We feel it is a move to embarrass us,” said Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan.
He also said that the CPI (M) district committee had raised a demand to send him and others into quarantine two days ago.
“MPs said they were not there when the incident took place. It is sad, even in trying times the ruling CPI (M) is playing politics,” said Chennithala.
The district administration has refuted allegations of politics and said more than 100 people including 50 journalists, 60 police officers, two-dozen medical and revenue officials were asked to proceed on quarantine.
It said all people present there on the particular day will be quarantined.
