BHOPAL: Finally, the Indore police has acted against the ruling BJP leaders for allegedly violating COVID-19 guidelines and social distancing norms by taking out processions during the ‘Narmada Kalash Yatra’ in the by-poll bound Sanver assembly constituency.
Six BJP leaders, including former Sanver MLA and Indore district BJP president Rajesh Sonkar have been booked at two police stations of Indore.
The three cases were registered under Section 188 of IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) against the six BJP leaders at Sanver and Chandravatiganj and Dharampuri police stations, DIG-Indore Harinarayanchari Mishra told The New Indian Express on Wednesday.
BJP’s Narmada Kalash Yatra, which is travelling to 250 villages of Sanver constituency, started from September 4 and will culminate on Thursday. Pictures and videos of the processions, featuring a large number of women dancing in groups have gone viral over social media.
The opposition Congress has long been raising the issue and accusing the Indore’s administration and police of selectively targeting the Congress leaders only.
Just a few days back, a group of Congress leaders and workers had been booked by Indore police for violating COVID-19 guidelines during a gathering to inaugurate the election office of Premchand Guddu, the party candidate for the Sanwer by-poll.
Meanwhile, keeping in mind the rapid rise in cases of the deadly infection in Indore during the last few days, the owners of shops in the famous 56 Dukan food street in Indore have decided to shut by 6 pm every Saturday and by 5 pm every Sunday, the city BJP unit president Gaurav Randive said on Wednesday.
Out of the 79,000-plus COVID-19 positive cases reported till now in the state, 15,452 cases have been reported from Indore. Considered the commercial capital of MP, Indore reported 257 positive cases and five deaths over the last 24 hours. The city has so far reported 432 deaths out of the 1640 deaths reported so far in the state.
The state, meanwhile, reported a spike of 1869 cases on Wednesday, besides reporting 31 more deaths in the last 24 hours. A total 1341 patients recovered from the deadly viral infection over the past 24 hours, taking the total recoveries so far to 59,850, while the total number of active patients presently across MP stood at 17,702.