COVID-19: Lawyer files a PIL in SC; seeks directions to stop mass gatherings

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 17 

As COVID-19 cases keep rising in the country, an advocate has filed PIL in the Supreme Court seeking directions to stop mass gatherings in Haridwar for the ongoing Kumbh Mela, saying it posed a grave public health threat during the pandemic.

Highlighting the threat posed by political rallies in West Bengal, petitioner Sanjay Kumar Pathak also sought directions to the Election Commission to take corrective steps.

Pathak said lakhs of people were attending Kumbh Mela without following the COVID-19 norms such as wearing face masks and observing physical distancing. There was no protocol in place to ensure devotees getting infected at Haridwar didn’t go on to spread the virus when they returned to their home districts, he pointed out.

Even though it was evident from the second week of March that a new surge of COVID-19 had started, the Centre, the government of Uttarakhand and the National Disaster Management Authority didn’t take steps to discourage people from gathering at Haridwar, the petitioner alleged.

Between April 13 and 14, more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases were reported in Haridwar and the Nirwani Akhada chief died on April 15 due to COVID19, the petitioner said.

“Photos and videos from the event show that COVID19 (sic) protocols like physical distancing and wearing masks are not being followed at the event. Blatant violations by the Kumbh mela attendees were ignored… On the other hand, India reported 1,68,912 new cases of Corona positive”, the PIL submitted.