BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Friday drew the Centre's attention to the alleged violation of Covid-19 guidelines by BJP national spokesperson and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi during her birthday celebrations here.
Minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra brought the issue to the notice of Union Minister of state for home Nityanand Rai in a letter.
A video of the event showed the Bhubaneswar MP surrounded by a large number of women who were not wearing face masks or maintaining social distance. Sarangi was also seen not wearing a mask in the event while the women surrounding her sang and danced at the programme.
"I would not have brought this to your notice, had this been the first occasion where the MP has blatantly violated Covid-19 guidelines," Mishra said in the letter and added that Rai will bring this to the notice of the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and advise her not to endanger the lives of the people of Bhubaneswar.
The Minister said repeated advisories, warnings, and booking of at least three cases against the MP for disobeying Covid-19 prevention protocols have failed to bring any improvement in her behaviour. "These irresponsible acts will put her, people near to her, and the public at grave risk,” he said and added that such irresponsible behaviour on the part of a peoples representative will demotivate Covid-19 warriors and is an insult to all those who have lost their lives.
Mishra said as the national spokesperson of the BJP, it is important that her conduct inspires people to follow Covid-19 guidelines at this very critical juncture. Mentioning about the grave situation in Bhubaneswar where 109 people have died and five Covid warriors have sacrificed their life, he said that in this backdrop, the MP celebrating her birthday in disregard of Covid-19 guidelines makes a complete mockery of the struggles and sufferings that ordinary people are going through.
Reacting to the complaint against her, the Bhubaneswar MP said that there cannot be different standards for different people. Sarangi referred to the presence of a minister of state and a BJD MLA in the cremation of former minister Pradeep Maharathi at Swargadwar at Puri where hundreds of people had gathered in complete disregard of Covid-19 guidelines.
The Bhubaneswar MP said that she always abides by Covid-19 guidelines. Sarangi said that in many social and political gatherings she can be seen wearing masks and maintaining social distance. “Captain Mishra should have wished me on birthday instead of complaining. I am still waiting for his wishes,” she said.