Stop political rallies during the pandemic: Bombay HC to govt – Hindustan Times

The Bombay high court on Wednesday said it was time to prepare for the third Covid wave by learning from the devastation caused by the second wave and that the state government must ensure that no more political rallies were held during the pandemic, failing which the court will take strict action.

“You will have to start activating machinery to stop political rallies defying Covid protocols. We will not allow this to happen. We are shutting down courts for physical hearings and these political leaders are organizing rallies with thousands of persons. The last rally was on the issue of naming of airport with over 25,000 people present. Can it not wait for Covid to get over?

The court was referring to a large rally held two days ago to oppose naming of Navi Mumbai Airport after Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray while demanding that it be named after late socialist leader DB Patil. The first phase of the airport is yet to be completed. There have been other political rallies demanding Maratha and OBC (other backward class) quotas. The court asked why these rallies could not wait and said it would not allow them during the pandemic.

The instruction from the division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni came during the hearing of a public interest litigation over shortage and black marketing of anti-Covid drugs during its procurement and distribution.

“Everyone is trying to take mileage. Why? Let it wait for some time. Are vaccination camps less important? We should all take lessons from the second wave and be prepared for the third wave. We all invited it and saw what happened. We should avoid it,” the bench noted.

The second wave of the pandemic is said to have worsened due to unchecked political events such as holding of elections in several states and violation of Covid-19 protocols in organising the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar earlier this year.

The court also wanted to know from the government counsel why political leaders were not informing the electorate that the state government was not the authority to decide on the issue of Maratha reservation and that a review petition was filed in the Supreme Court.

Earlier last month, the division bench headed by justice Ravindra Ghuge at Aurangabad court made similar observations and restrained politicians and ministers from conducting physical ceremonies and functions including for inaugurating projects until lockdown restrictions were eased. The bench suggested that such events could be organized virtually.