BHOPAL: A day after Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while chairing the COVID-19 situation review meeting, directed to ensure mandatory use of face masks in Indore and Bhopal, many legislators were seen sans face masks in Vidhan Sabha premises on the second day of the ongoing budget session on Tuesday.
Those spotted sans face masks within the Vidhan Sabha premises, included ruling BJP MLAs Usha Thakur (also minister of state), Ramesh Mendola, Yashpal Singh Sisodiya and former health minister Ajay Vishnoi. Even the opposition Congress MLAs were not lagging behind their BJP counterparts in not adhering to respiratory hygiene norms, as Congress legislators, including Sunil Saraf, Siddharth Kushwah and Alok Chaturvedi too were spotted sans face masks.
When questioned by scribes about not wearing the masks, these MLAs had different excuses on the same issue.
The BJP MLA from Mhow-Indore and minister of state for tourism and culture Usha Thakur stated “I regularly perform Yoga and also blow conch, which is why there is less possibility of me being infected by the novel Coronavirus. I may not be using a mask, but use my scarf/dupatta to cover my face, when it’s needed.”
Firebrand BSP MLA Rambai Thakur had another excuse for not wearing a face mask, “On wearing mask, I feel uneasy, often experience feelings of nausea and even get unwell.”
The Congress MLA from Satna seat Siddharth Kushwah, who is among those MLAs, who has successfully defeated the killer virus in the recent past, boasted, “I forgot the mask inside the Vidhan Sabha. Further, I’ve already been infected by COVID-19 in the past, so I’ll not get infected by it again. Still if you want to make it an issue, you’re free to do it.”
The BJP MLA from Indore-5 seat Ramesh Mendola, however, ducked questions by the journalists when he was spotted sans face masks in the Vidhan Sabha premises.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to all people in the state, particularly in Indore and Bhopal to compulsorily wear face masks and observe social distancing. “The COVID-19 pandemic is again spreading tentacles, particularly in Indore and Bhopal. Added to it is the drastic rise in the killer virus’s cases in adjoining Maharashtra. I appeal to our state’s population, particularly people in Indore and Bhopal to compulsorily wear masks and religiously follow social distancing,” Chouhan said.