Bombay HC warns of action against politicos getting jabs at home – Hindustan Times

“Leaders of Maharashtra are not a class apart and cannot get jabs at their homes,” the Bombay high court (HC) noted while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking door-to-door vaccination for senior citizens and specially-abled persons. The court observed that while the President and Prime Minister had gone to a government vaccination centre to gets the jabs, Maharashtra leaders should also have gone to vaccination centres rather than getting jabs at home. The bench asked the government pleader to inform the concerned department of the court’s warning that if it came to know of political leaders getting jabs privately, it would initiate action accordingly.

A division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, while hearing a PIL filed by lawyers Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, was informed that there were many senior citizens and specially-abled persons who were unable to go to vaccination centres set up by the government and local municipal authorities to get jabs. The PIL, hence, sought directions from the court to the Central and state governments and municipal authorities to have a policy for door-to-door vaccination for such persons.

While citing the communication of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal that vaccination could not be provided in the HC medical centre for judges, lawyers and court staff as it did not have an operational intensive care unit (ICU), the bench sought to know how jabs were being provided to political leaders at their homes. “Are ICUs available in the homes of leaders,” HC asked.

The bench then referred to reports wherein it was stated that a certain political leader had got vaccinated at home and remarked, “How is that important political leaders are getting Covid-19 jabs at home if there is no door-to-door policy? There has to be a uniform policy. What has happened has happened. If we find any report that any political leader is taking a jab at home, we will see to it.” The court then asked government pleader Poornima Kantharia to inform the concerned officials of the court warning.

Citing the example of the leaders at the centre, the bench said, “If the President of India and the Prime Minister can get vaccinated at the centres, then why can’t the political leaders in Maharashtra go to centres too? They are not class apart. This sends out a wrong message.”

Addressing the concerns of the petitioner regarding helpline numbers for senior citizens willing to visit vaccination centres, the court said, “There has to be something for the senior citizens along with a simplified online procedure for vaccination.” The court then directed the Central government to file a short affidavit on the vaccination protocols and whether a policy for door-to-door vaccination for senior citizens can be put in place.

In the previous hearing the bench had noted, “We do not want senior citizens collapsing after taking the vaccine. There has to be an ambulance with ICU facilities. We are not interfering with government policies. What we are seeking is some improvement.”

The court observed that it was cognisant of reports of shortage of vaccines, but said it was another concern which would be addressed at a relevant time and posted the next hearing on April 21.