Had Asked States In March To Ensure Covid-Appropriate Behaviour: Centre

The submission by the Ministry of Home Affairs has come in response to a plea seeking to debar campaigners and candidates from campaigning in the assembly elections for repeatedly violating the mandatory guidelines.

The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that it had in March this year asked all state governments and union territories (UTs) to ensure compliance of COVID-19-appropriate behaviour at all gatherings. The submission by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has come in response to a plea seeking to debar campaigners and candidates from campaigning in the assembly elections for repeatedly violating the mandatory guidelines, including wearing of masks, issued by the Election Commission (EC) and the Centre in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The petition by Vikram Singh, the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh and also the chairman of think-tank Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), has contended that despite the orders and guidelines of the Centre and EC, "election campaigning is going on in full swing, without any regard to the COVID-19 regulations". In the affidavit filed through central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia, the MHA has said that it has always made provisions in the guidelines issued to states and Union Territories under the Disaster Management Act 2005 for enforcement of COVID-19-appropriate behaviour and strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs).