Claiming that the Union and State governments along with the municipal authorities have failed to contain the novel coronavirus, a city-based activist has petitioned the Supreme Court seeking deployment of military in all states. This, the activist claims would help in effective implementation of the lockdown, imposed to control further spread of the virus.
The activist – Kamlakar Shenoy, has approached the top court through his counsels Dushyant Tiwari and Om Parihar. He has also sought a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the mass congregation incidents reported in New Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and other states.
“The government and it’s authorities have failed to protect the spread of coronavirus in different parts of the country which has lead to rapid increase in number of positive patients,” Shenoy has alleged in his petition.
The PIL points out the advisory issued on March 16 to promote social-distancing in public life, which specifically asked religious leaders to regulate mass gatherings and to ensure no overcrowding at temples, mosques etc.
“But despite the lock down, various mass mobilisation or gatherings have been organised and conducted. In Mumbai, thousands of people were mobilised on the pretext that they wanted to go back to their native places due to the lack of food and relief works being arranged for them,” the petition states while referring to the recent gathering and protests at Bandra station.
While further highlighting the mass congregation at Delhi’s Nizamuddin area by the Tabligh-e-Jamaat and other incidents, the plea reads, “All these gatherings were allowed to be mobilised when COVID-19 cases have been rapidly increasing across India.”
Shenoy has further alleged that all these gathering were “well hatched conspiracies” orchestrated to sabotage the lockdown plan by few antisocial elements. The plea further highlighted the recent wedding ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy’s son wherein the lockdown rules were blatantly violated by all.
The petition also highlighted the series of attacks on health officials and police officers in numerous states.
“This is causing problem in controlling coronavirus and therefore special forces protection is required to these health sector people while going for testing coronavirus patients. It is also pertinent to note that the people who are quarantined or under treatment, are continuously trying to run away from the quarantine center, hospitals etc., which is again increasing the chance of the spread of coronavirus, therefore more security is required,” the petition explains.
“Thus, it is clear that the state police is not capable in stopping people from gathering at one place, or organising events, therefore it is very much necessary to deploy special armed forces in each state, in order to stop these type of incidence,” the petition adds.
Further, the plea points out that one community has its religious festival in this month and if proper armed force is not deployed in the coronavirus hotspot areas, “then there will be chances of more attacks on hospital sector people, social workers, police etc. and this might lead to communal clashes, which is not a good sign for controlling the spread of coronavirus in India,” the plea states.