The Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has advised political parties to campaign through the electronic means instead of the physical form in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justices Sheel Nagu and Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava in an interim order on October 3 directed District Magistrates of nine districts falling under the Bench to register cases against members of a congregation and its organisers, including political leaders or government officials, who violated COVID-19 norms.
The Justices gave the direction that cases must be registered “failing which the District Magistrates of the concerned nine districts shall be liable for contempt of this Court and shall also be exposed to the rigors of penal provisions of relevant laws.”
Based on the material placed on record, the court, while hearing a petition filed by lawyer Ashish Pratap Singh, observed the State and government functionaries were indulging in activities leading to congregations. “Such congregations, it is scientifically proved, can invariably lead to further spread of COVID-19 infection,” they noted.
In addition, the court exhorted political parties and the State government to set an example for voters and the public by adhering to the COVID-19 norms issued by the Central government, the state Government and District Magistrates from time to time.
The Justices also directed the Principal Registrar to place the matter before the appropriate Bench in case the three advocates appointed as amicus curiae or any citizen pointed out the breach of the interim order or the COVID-19 norms.
Following the previous interim order, the amicus curiae had jointly filed two reports, “both prima facie revealing widespread breach of Covid-19 protocol” based on various congregations. Thereafter, the court heard District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of five districts where the byelections were due.
Byelections to 28 Assembly seats are due in Madhya Pradesh on November 3, of which 25 were vacated after Congress MLAs quit the party and switched over to the BJP, while three were vacated after deaths of sitting MLAs.
