News Analysis India

Tag: Covid norms

  • FIR against head of Afghan solidarity panel, others for allegedly flouting COVID-19 norms

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Wednesday booked the head of the Afghan solidarity committee Ahmad Zia Ghani and other refugees for allegedly not wearing masks and flouting COVID-19 norms during their protest outside United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office at Vasant Vihar.

    The police also said that no prior permission was sought by the Afghan refugees and asylum seekers camping outside the UNHCR office.

    In an FIR lodged by sub-inspector Deepak Kumar Tanwar dated August 31, Tanwar stated, “Ghani was holding a protest outside the UNHCR office. Today, I along with other personnel were deployed for law and order duty at the UNHCR office. Around 300 Afghan refugees have gathered and most of them were not wearing masks, not maintaining social distance. Ghani, who is the organiser of the protest was also not wearing a mask and also not maintaining social distance.”

    Further, he alleged that UNHCR and the resident welfare association (RWA) had also complained that the protestors were not wearing masks and they have violated the norms. “Ghani and other Afghan refugees had violated the rules of DDMA. They had committed the offence under IPC Section 188,” he said.

    However, no arrest has been made so far.

    Vasant Vihar Welfare Association had also filed a plea at the Delhi High Court, seeking the removal of the foreign nationals who had gathered outside the UNHCR India office in Vasant Vihar and set up temporary structures, and settling them at an appropriate camp.

    The petitioners, the welfare association and one Bhaskar Chatterjee, through the plea also sought to direct respondents to issue appropriate policy to deal with the nuisance being faced by the residents of Vasant Vihar as COVID-19 protocols were being violated.

    After the Taliban seized control of the war-ravaged Afghanistan on August 15, several Afghan refugees in India protested in front of the UNHCR office, demanding the release of “support letters” from the UN agency to migrate to other countries for better opportunities. 

  • MHA says ‘blatant violation’ of Covid norms in hill stations, markets; asks states to take action

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry Wednesday said blatant violations of COVID-19 norms have been observed in several parts of the country, including hill stations, and asked states and union territories to take action against officials responsible for ensuring compliance to laid down guidelines.

    In a letter to all states and UTs, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also said Covid-appreciate behaviour is not being adhered to in public transport and massive crowds are thronging marketplaces, violating social distancing norms.

    Bhalla emphasised the second wave of Covid is not yet over and everyone should remember there is no room for complacency and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.

    He said that with the decline in the number of active cases, states and UTs have started reopening economic activities in a gradual manner but the process of relaxing restrictions should be carefully calibrated.

    “Blatant violations of COVID norms have been observed in several parts of the country, especially in public transport and at hill stations. Massive crowds are also thronging the market places, violating norms of social distancing,” he said.

  • Uttarakhand cop who fined MLA for violating lockdown transferred

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: A police sub-inspector posted in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie was transferred days after he fined an MLA for allegedly violating COVID-19 guidelines, fuelling allegations that he was penalised for acting against a sitting legislator.

    Last Sunday, a video clip surfaced on social media in which Roorkee MLA Pradeep Batra was seen throwing money at a police sub-inspector who had fined him and walking away.

    The MLA was stopped for not wearing a mask properly and roaming around with his family despite the lockdown enforced in Mussoorie.

    The sub-inspector, Neerak Kathait, was on Thursday transferred to Kalsi, around 40 km from Dehradun, Mussoorie Circle Officer Narendra Pant said.

    The sub-inspector can be heard in the video reprimanding the MLA, whom he apparently did not recognise, for violating COVID-19 guidelines.

    He is also heard saying that Batra will have to pay a fine of Rs 500.

    Angered by this, the MLA is next seen hurling the money at the officer.

    As the news of the officer’s transfer spread, local people rallied behind him in support, saying he was being penalised for doing his duty.

    The Mussoorie Traders Association (MTA) even submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, seeking his intervention and stopping the SI’s transfer.

    “The legislator broke the law. The sub-inspector took action and should be praised for what he did instead of being punished,” MTA president Rajat Aggarwal said.

    Mussoorie unit president of the Congress, Gaurav Agarwalla asked the state government to revoke Kathait’s transfer and warned of an agitation.

    Circle Officer Pant, however, said Kathait has already completed three years in Mussoorie and his transfer was due.

  • COVID-19: 9 held for attacking Madhya Pradesh cops near crowded tea stall

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Nine people have been arrested for allegedly attacking policemen who were on patrol duty to enforce COVID-19 norms in the old city area of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, an official said on Sunday.

    The attack on the policemen took place in Qazi Camp area on Saturday near a tea stall which was serving a huge number of people despite a curfew in place between 9pm and 6am in view of the spike in coronavirus cases.he said.

    “The shop owner, identified as Jahir, and his relatives refused to listen when the policemen asked them to shut the outlet. They hurled a kettle of hot tea on the police team and also pelted them with bricks. Three Hanumanganj police station personnel were injured in the incident,” he informed.

    Jahir and eight others have been arrested and search for some other accused was underway, he added.