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Amid criticism, SC to hear plea seeking action against Covid-19 protocol violators during Kumbh, election rallies
The plea filed by Advocate Pathak sought directions to the authorities to identify the violators of Covid-19 guidelines during the election process and to take appropriate action against them as per the law.
The Supreme Court on Monday will hear a petition seeking immediate action against those who violated Covid-19 protocol in recent months, especially during the large political gatherings and the religious congregation at Kumbh Mela in Haridwar where lakhs of people gathered to take a holy dip in river Ganga.
The plea filed by Advocate Pathak sought directions to the authorities to identify the violators of Covid-19 guidelines during the election process and to take appropriate action against them as per the law.
A bench of three judges Justice Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Justices Nageshwar Rao and Ravindra Bhat, will hear the plea on Monday. Justice Chandrachud will be heading the bench.
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India is witnessing the catastrophic surge in daily cases of coronavirus diseases (Covid-19) after it successfully brought the trajectory down in September last year. In the second wave of Covid-19, the cases in India have risen to above the 400,000-mark while the number of daily fatalities is also seeing a sharp spike.
Many have blamed the spread of the infection on pilgrims who attended the enormous Kumbh Mela. Hundreds and thousands of people were seen violating physical distancing rules while many failed to wear a face mask while taking a dip. Rallies organised by politicians in five states and one Union territory that went to the polls last month have also been blamed for spurt in cases amid an already raging pandemic, triggering a boom in covid-19 infection.
On April 27, the vice-president of the Indian Medical Association, Dr Navjot Dahiya, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “super-spreader” for addressing large political gatherings as part of the election campaign. He also blamed PM Modi for the unprecedented second wave of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the Centre says that it is on a “war footing,” ramping up hospital capacity, supplies of oxygen and drugs.
In the plea, Pathak has also asked the court to give immediate directions to the Union of India and the Uttarakhand state to withdraw all the advertisements inviting people to Kumbh in Haridwar.
He also asked the top court to give direction to the Election Commission to issue an advisory to the concerned authorities to strictly enforce Covid guidelines against the candidates, campaigners and public during the election process and to take appropriate action against the violators.
