Soon after Madhya Pradesh Government announced a ten-day lockdown in Bhopal in the wake of rising corona cases, Congress MLA Arif Masood openly flayed the move threatening an agitation if the festivals were blocked by the administration with lockdown orders.
Eid-ul-Adha is being observed on July 31, while the festival of Rakshabandhan is on August 3, the last day of the ten-day lockdown announced by Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Wednesday late evening.
After over 125 cases in the last few days, the Government Health bulletin put the number of fresh cases at 217 in Bhopal on Wednesday. Media reports suggested that overall figures of new cases in last 24 hours were around 190. The state reported over 750 cases in a single day on Wednesday.
This had prompted the administration to announce a ten-day lockdown in the city.
Calling it a unilateral decision taken by the administration, Congress Bhopal Madhya MLA Arif Masood claimed that the decision was taken without taking public representatives into confidence.
Festivals like Eid-ul-Adha and Rakshabandhan can not be blocked with lockdown orders, affirmed Masood threatening administration with agitation in case the decision isn’t rolled back by 4pm on Thursday.
Locals could observe festivals with social distancing and other safety norms, he claimed.
“Qurbani (sacrifice ritual) will be undertaken on the festival in the State at every cost,” affirmed the Congress lawmaker urging everyone to oppose the move on social media.
BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said that it was highly shameful that public representatives like Arif Masood are instigating people to break law and order instead of co-operating with the authorities in the hour of crisis.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Masood’s threat said that politicising every subject was not good.
“Our topmost priority is to save the public from the virus and whatever we have decided is in the interest of the locals,” added Dr Mishra. No decision taken by the State Gsovernment are based on festivals or religion, he added.
Urging that everyone should observe festival inside the home, Mishra affirmed that anyone opposing the lockdown through agitation will be dealt as per the law.