The Allahabad High Court has pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government following the rise in COVID-19 cases in the state, saying it got "complacent" following the weakening of the virus and got more involved in the Panchayat elections.

"It is now an open secret that government had gone complacent due to weakening of virus impact by the end of 2020 in the state and the government got more involved in other activities including Panchayat elections," the high court said on Tuesday. The court also noted that it will not tolerate any paperwork or public announcements to show account of the steps taken by the state government and its sufficiency amid the worsening COVID-19 situation.