Must enforce Covid norms, Calcutta HC tells EC – Times of India

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked the Bengal chief electoral officer Ariz Aftab and all district magistrates to strictly enforce the Election Commission’s Covid norms, if required with police help.
“We are dealing with an extraordinary situation and this calls for extraordinary measures,” the HC said, adding that anyone found flouting Covid norms, even during poll campaigning, “must be taken to task immediately”. The HC also said if necessary, the administration can also enforce prohibitory orders under Section 144 to ensure physical distancing. The HC has sought for a compliance report from the Bengal CEO when it hears the manner next on April 19.
A division bench of Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and justice Arijit Banerjee, in their 14-page order, said: “Stringent measures must be taken against persons who fail, neglect or refuse to obey the Covid protocols. Callous and irresponsible attitude or behaviour of some of the members of society cannot be permitted to endanger the lives of other members of society.” The HC said that the measures were “absolutely necessary to avert a deadly disaster that is staring at our faces in the form of possible galloping rise in Covid-19 cases.”
The HC also laid down a four-point guideline for immediate implementation. This makes masks mandatory at all gatherings, asks for sanitizers to be made available (in these gatherings) liberally and says safe distancing norms must be followed at all gatherings. The HC said the “administration shall do its best to ensure that there are no large congregations, and public awareness through distribution of pamphlet and miking should be resorted to.”
The bench also urged political parties, all candidates, and campaigners “to ensure that at every gathering all persons present wear masks and maintain safe distancing norms.” The HC hoped that all “contesting candidates and their aides and associates would realise the enormous gravity of the situation and encourage all concerned to observe the Covid rules.”
Hearing two PILs, which questioned the non-adherence to Covid protocols during the ongoing Bengal polls and linking them with the sharp spike in Covid cases statewide, the HC said while it was apparent that the EC and CEO Bengal have laid out guidelines, “they need to be implemented in the strictest possible manner. This is what the administration must do.”