An FIR has been lodged against the president of Jharkhand BJP and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash and party’s Kanke MLA Samri Lal under section of Epidemic Control Act and Disaster Management Act for violating the Covid-19 guidelines while carrying out a political demonstration on June 18.
The FIR was lodged at Kanke police station where the complainant; the BDO of Kanke block Basukinath Tudu alleged that both of them were leading an agitation and around 75 to 80 persons had joined that agitation. In the FIR the official maintained that the crowd ignored social distancing, mandatory use of facemask as well as other Covid 19 guidelines. The government alleged that such an act can potentially spread the case of Covid 19 and the leaders risked the life of people by disregarding rules and regulation.
Jharkhand government has been periodically extending the lockdown as the situation had gone out of control during the second wave of Covid 19. Notably, the Jharkhand government has banned any public gathering to restrict any mass gathering to minimize chances of proliferation Covid 19.
On June 18 Jharkhand BJP had organized state-wise agitation against the state government. The agitation was called to draw the attention of the state government towards the plight of farmers of Jharkhand. Both party president and Kanke MLA had held a token demonstration at Kanke block.
The BJP on the other hand vehemently criticized the government for FIR against them. “This is a poor tactic to muffle the voice of opposition. The Hemant Soren government seems to be afraid of our party and the president since whenever he carries any agitation the government slaps an FIR on him. On a previous occasion he was booked under sedition charges. This time when the party president spoke for the cause of farmers he was greeted with another FIR. But we are not scared,” Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Nath Shahdeo said.