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MHA gets complaint against BJP lawmaker for ‘violating’ Covid guidelines
Citing videos of Aparajita Sarangi’s birthday celebration with her supporters, Odisha’s minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra alleged that the MP had violated Covid guidelines as she was surrounded by hundreds of women without masks.
A Biju Janata Dal minister has written to union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai complaining about BJP’s Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi’s alleged violation of Covid-19 guidelines while celebrating her birthday amid party supporters on Thursday.
Citing videos of Sarangi’s birthday celebration with her supporters, Odisha’s minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra alleged that the MP had violated Covid guidelines as she was surrounded by hundreds of women without masks.
“I would not have brought this to your notice, had this been the first occasion where the Honourable MP has blatantly violated Covid guidelines. In addition to repeated advisories, warnings and booking of at least three cases against MP for violation of Covid guidelines, there is no improvement in behaviour,” Mishra wrote in the letter.
“Such irresponsible behaviour on the part of a people’s representative will demotivate the Covid Warriors and is an insult to all those who have lost their lives. And it also sends a completely contradictory message to the people at large especially in the light of the Honourable Prime Minister’s repeated messages and his appeal yesterday,” he said.
Sarangi, who in July was penalised by police for violating social distancing guidelines, however denied that she had violated any Covid guidelines.
“After arriving at Bhubaneswar two days ago, I have always been masked up. PM Modi ji has asked us to do our work with proper masking and I have not forgotten it. But did the minister raise any questions about one of his ministers and party MLA attending the funeral of party MLA Pradip Maharathy last week despite testing positive for Covid-19. Did he write to CM questioning their conduct,” asked Sarangi.
The minister further wrote that as Sarangi is a people’s representative and national spokesperson of the BJP, it is important that she inspires people to follow the Covid guidelines at this very critical juncture.
“These are tough times when people have obeyed the lockdown and sacrificed their livelihood. But the video clearly shows Sarangi surrounded by hundreds of women who are neither wearing masks nor maintaining social distance and indulging in song and dance with utter disregard to Covid guidelines issued under the National Disaster Management Act despite repeated appeals made by the Prime Minister regarding the same,” he said.
