NEW DELHI, DEC 24
Owing to the spread of Omicron in India, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on all political rallies scheduled in the five poll-bound states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari, who has filed the plea, provided details on the demands sought considering the new Coronavirus variant.
Vishal Tiwari said, “The direction we sought is that the Election Commission must practically implement the COVID-19 guidelines issued which are not followed by any political party during campaign or rallies”.
Tiwari added that if there is an increase in Coronavirus infections, then only the common man suffers, but the political parties have got the full power to organise political rallies in any manner. According to the Advocate, people are advised to avoid public gatherings while the politicians invite them to participate in the rallies.
He said, “In our county, at the time of elections, physical political rallies are held but this must shift to the digital medium to curb the Coronavirus infections”. According to him, when the judiciary system could move to the digital platform with the emergence of COVID, then why not politics.
According to Health Ministry, as of date, there are 358 Omicron cases in 17 States/UTs of India. The number of persons recovered is 114. “Ministry of Health and Family Welfare preemptively advised states on December 21 to impose restrictions like night curfew, regulating large gatherings. increase bed capacity and other logistics and strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour”, Union Health Secretary informed in a press briefing held today, December 24.
India on Friday, December 24, reported 6,650 fresh coronavirus infections with 7,051 recoveries in the last 24 hours. According to data provided by the Union Health Ministry, out of the total infections, active cases account for less than 1%, which is currently at 0.22%, the lowest since March 2020. The COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 98.40%. To date, the country has administered 1,40,88,08,461 COVID-19 vaccine doses under the nationwide vaccination drive.
EC responds to HC appeal; To take a call on UP polls schedule after review next week
Will visit #UttarPradesh next week to review the situation, then take decision: CEC Sushil Chandra on Allahabad High Court’s request on polls amid #Omicron scare @ECISVEEP @kitaab31 @ShivangPatrakar #UPElections2022 pic.twitter.com/fg738On0jF
— India Ahead News (@IndiaAheadNews) December 24, 2021
The Election Commission will decide the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election schedule after reviewing the situation in the state next week, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra revealed. He was responding to a question on the Allahabad High Court’s order dated December 23 wherein it requested the EC to stop all rallies and delay the UP polls for a couple of months. Addressing the media in Uttarakhand on Friday, Chandra assured that the EC will take all possible steps to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus amid the Omicron threat.
“We also want to assure you that we have told the SDMs who will conduct an immediate inspection to ensure that nothing happens. We will take whatever action that is required. After Uttarakand, we are going to Uttar Pradesh next week. We will review the situation there. After that, we will take an appropriate decision in the Commissionn,” he added.
While allowing the bail application of a petitioner in case, a single-judge bench of Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav observed, “Today, all parties are gathering a crowds of lakhs in their rallies and public meetings as the Uttar Pradesh polls are drawing close. It is not possible to follow any kind of COVID-19 norms there and if we don’t stop them, the outcome will be even more dangerous than the second wave. In such a situation, the court appeals to the Election Commission to immediately ban rallies, public meetings and other events where a crowd can gather.
