Bengaluru: The state government, on Thursday, told the Karnataka High Court that it would not be prosecuting Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya or any other political leader under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act for violating the COVID-19 guidelines by not wearing face masks while during political rallies.
Taking strong exception to this, a Bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Vishwajith Shetty observed that the state government is attempting to protect politicians and not taking any strict action against violators of the social distancing norms.
In its affidavit submitted to the High Court, the state government had informed that it did not intend to prosecute with harsh punishment those who did not wear masks or violated social distancing norms and that a fine of Rs 250/100 is sufficient “for such offences”.
To this, the High Court expressed its dissatisfaction saying that it would issue a notice to all recognized political parties and get an assurance from them to avoid holding rallies that violate the social distancing norms if the “State had no control over them”, Bar and Bench reported.
“Once a cognizable offence is made out, can State take a stand that it is not the policy of the State to prosecute? There are large scale violations and you are not doing anything,” the court said, as per the Bar and Bench report.
When the government’s advocate, Vikram Huilgol stated that the organizers of such political rallies would be heavily fined up to Rs 50,000, the court shot back asking how many organisers have been fined so far, as there have been three to four political rallies where people were not wearing masks.
To this, the State apprised the Court that around 680 persons have been fined for attending a political rally on September 30 without masks.
“We will implead all political parties, to be made as respondents and take undertaking from them to ensure strict implementation of regulations regarding wearing of face masks and maintaining of social distancing during rallies,” the Cout then observed, stated the Bar and Bench report.
The hearing has been adjourned to November 24.
