Wednesday, 05 January 2022| PNS | Dehradun
Amid increasing cases of Covid-19 Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tested positive after his political rally in Dehradun on Monday. Citizens in Dehradun have raised concern at the Covid risk posed by political rallies at a time when measures like night curfew are in place while Covid appropriate behaviour is blatantly violated in large public gatherings.
Social activist Anoop Nautiyal said that after Kejriwal tested positive for Covid, the spotlight is on political rallies which hae the capacity to turn into super spreaders. He urged the election commission to prohibit all electoral rallies and allow other outreach mediums. This is a public cause that needs immediate intervention, he added.
Housewife Sumedha Uniyal said, “Political rallies should not be held considering the current situation. Having these political rallies is like giving an invitation to the virus.” Stating that the government is responsible for preventing further spread of Covid, she questioned the attitude of the authorities towards the risk posed by such activities. Senior citizen Pawan Singh said “With Covid-19 cases increasing daily, political rallies should be avoided. However, if you cannot do that then proper precautionary measures should be taken in these rallies. We have seen that people present in these rallies are not wearing masks and do not maintain social distancing.”
Student Meenakshi Bhatt said, “If we can study through online mode then political campaigning too can be done virtually, through advertisements or social media. In today’s time, social media is a powerful medium and your voice can be heard by millions then why risk the lives of people by conducting these rallies,” she questioned.
Shopkeeper Pankaj Dobhal stated, “Political leaders should be extra careful as thousands of people are attending their rallies and their safety and health is also the responsibility of the leaders.” He also added that these rallies are not more important than anybody’s health and safety especially during a pandemic.
