Had asked states in March to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour: Centre

The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that it had in March this year asked all state governments and union territories UTs to ensure compliance of COVID19appropriate behaviour at all gatheringsThe submission by the Ministry of Home Affairs MHA has come in response to a plea seeking to debar campaigners and candidates from campaigning in the assembly elections for repeatedly violating the mandatory guidelines including wearing of masks issued by the Election Commission EC and the Centre in view of the COVID19 pandemicThe petition by Vikram Singh the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh and also the chairman of thinktank Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change CASC has contended that despite the orders and guidelines of the Centre and EC election campaigning is going on in full swing without any regard to the COVID19 regulationsIn the affidavit filed through central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia the MHA has said that it has always made provisions in the guidelines issued to states and Union Territories under the Disaster Management Act 2005 for enforcement of COVID19appropriate behaviour and strict adherence to standard operating procedures SOPsThe ministry has also said that it issued the Guidelines for Effective Control of COVID19 on March 23 emphasizing that states and UTs should strictly enforce testtracktreat protocol COVID19appropriate behaviour and prescribed SOPs on various activities like opening of schools hotels eateries shopping malls gyms etcFurther states and UTs based on their assessment of the situation may impose local restrictions at districtsubdistrict and citiesward level the ministry has saidSingh represented by advocate Virag Gupta had told the court that while announcing the elections the Election Commission in its notification mandated that every person shall wear a face mask during every election related activity but the same were flouted with impunity by the political parties their leaders and campaigners during the rallies public meetings and roadshows conducted during the ongoing pandemicHe subsequently moved two more applications through advocate Gaurav Pathak seeking directions to the Election Commission to take action like imposing penalty and lodging FIRs against star campaigners and leaders of all political parties for allegedly violating COVID19 norms during the assembly polls in West Bengal and for ensuring that masks are worn mandatorily by everyone involved in poll campaigns during the ongoing elections in various states and union territoriesSingh in one of his applications has also sought directions to the EC to widely publicise the guidelines issued by it and the ministryThe unhindered and uncaredfor all out campaigning has resulted in the rise in coronavirus cases in that state where the positivity rate has gone up from 5 per cent to 24 per cent Singh has contended in one of his applicationsIt has further contended that the lackadaisical action of ECI in implementing its own guidelines and noncancellation of permission given for roadshows and rallies is evident from the number of campaigners catching COVIDThe Election Commission had guidelines for conduct of general electionsbyeelections during COVID19 published in August 2020 but failed to implement the same Singh has said and sought prosecution of ECI officials who failed to enforce their own mandatory COVID guidelinesThe assembly elections in Assam Kerala Tamil Nadu West Bengal and Puducherry were held in various phases The polls started on March 27 and concluded on April 29Singh has claimed that there is an indirect discrimination against the general public as fines are collected from them for violating COVID19 norms but no action is taken against politiciansThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever