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Modi, Shah, Mamata or Rahul, no one cares about EC Covid warning and rallies continue as usual


Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Barasat, 24 Pargana North, April 12.  |  Photo: ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Barasat, 24 Pargana North, April 12. | Photo: ANI

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New Delhi: Political parties stepped up their campaign in West Bengal days after the Election Commission (EC) sent a letter to state and national political parties asking them to follow social distancing standards and Covid-19 guidelines while organizing rallies in the midst of the pandemic.

On Monday, the BJP held three political rallies for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Interior Minister Amit Shah addressed two rallies and led two tours.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, addressed four rallies. And Congress is finally organizing rallies for party leader Rahul Gandhi, from April 14.

On Friday, the EC had warned political parties for strict action, including banning rallies and meetings, if Covid-19 standards are not met. The commission, in its letter, highlighted specific cases of candidates, star activists and other leaders who did not wear masks and flout standards.

Amid a booming second wave, India reported its highest daily tally of fresh cases at around 1.70 lakh on Monday.

ThePrint has contacted the EC for a text comment, but there was no response until this report was released.


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Show how serious we are

Prior to phase five of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Modi held rallies in Bardhaman, Kalyani and Barasat.

It is the first time that the Prime Minister has organized three rallies in one day in West Bengal during this election season. It shows how serious we are about elections and also shows our commitment. Three rallies by the prime minister and four (rallies and tours) by the union’s Home Secretary in one day will give our campaign a boost, said a senior BJP official who declined to be named .

Asked how social distancing standards are flouted, the official said it was impossible to follow Covid protocols at political rallies attended by thousands of people.

It’s not that we’re the only ones organizing rallies, see how other political parties are flouting the standards. We always try to have chairs in place at a suitable distance but it becomes difficult to manage, he added.

Rahul Sinha, top party leader and former West Bengal BJP chairman, said: “Whatever we can do, we are following, when it comes to the Covid protocols. At the same time, we are also raising awareness of Covid standards. From the stage from which our leaders speak, we take every precaution.

He said, but at the same time, where the public is if we try to follow too many standards, it will lead to more violations because there would be scrambling as people want to get a glimpse of PM Modi.

Sinha added that the party could not prevent people from coming to the rallies. The TMC and Congress are making an excuse to Covid to make sure these rallies are canceled because they don’t even get 10 percent of the crowd our rallies witness. They are trying to stop our “Jan Jagran” (awareness campaign). The verdict is clear that the BJP is forming the government.


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I can’t worry about the standards

Asked about the situation, Chief Congressman and MP Rajya Sabha Pradip Bhattacharya said: I would ask you to speak to Home Secretary Amit Shah, PM Modi and CM Mamata Banerjee. Can you show me a photo of Union Home Minister and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wearing a mask? They are the ones who are supposed to ensure that standards are met in the state and they are the ones who flout them.

He also said the party had asked its candidates to raise awareness about the use of masks and disinfectants on tours and rallies, but it was a Herculean task.

A number of opposition parties have also questioned the state’s eight-phase elections.

The EC should have thought about it before allowing elections to be held during a pandemic and that too in eight phases, a senior congressman told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.

Our goal is to win and make sure we get as many places as possible. These last phases are very crucial for us and if I have to contact my constituents I cannot worry about ensuring that all standards are met, he said.

Worsening of the Covid situation

Between February 26, when the elections were announced, and March 30, the country saw a 224% increase in daily positive results, while the test positivity rate fell from 2.13% to 5 , 22%, reported ThePrint.

Daily positive results in West Bengal have risen 190% from 216 to 628 since the announcement, even as live coverage of all-party campaign rallies shows how adherence to appropriate Covid behavior is. lax. The test’s positivity rate in the condition tripled during this time from 1.07 to 3.5.

It is a big state and there are so many rallies that it is not possible to monitor everything. But we are creating awareness about meeting Covid-19 standards and our candidates are following them, said Sougata Roy, TMC leader and Lok Sabha MP.


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