PM Modi’s Punjab rally to go ahead despite Covid-19 curbs

TNN Bureau. Updated: 1/4/2022 6:00:44 PM Politics

Though the Punjab government has closed educational institutions and imposed night curfew amid rising Covid infections, political rallies including the one to be addressed by the Prime Minister at Ferozepur on Wednesday are expected to go ahead as per the schedule.

The BJP’s state general secretary said the Wednesday rally, touted as “the biggest ever political rally in the state” wouldn’t be affected by Covid restrictions. “It is a joint programme of the Centre and the state government.

Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will also be there at the foundation laying ceremony… Hence I don’t think it will be any problem,” said Dr Subash Sharma, the BJP leader, of the functions Narendra Modi would attend before the rally. “It will have a foundation stone-laying ceremony for a satellite centre for the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, two medical colleges and many other projects.” The organisers said they expected about 3 lakh people would be bussed from different parts of Punjab.

Another BJP leader said Congress state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was also addressing rallies.

And SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal is holding village meetings in the Lambi constituency on Tuesday.

Other mass events are also taking place unhindered in the state. The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) has held sit-ins at 15 places since December 20. Shingara Singh Maan, senior vice-president of the farmer’s group, said that in the past two years, the government hadn’t done anything to check Covid except for closing schools and colleges. “Covid is there, but there are bigger problems than Covid. Our dharnas will continue as we continued our morcha at the Delhi border amid Covid. Road accidents, farmer suicides, cancer, water pollution are much bigger issues than Covid. On Monday four or five people died in Bathinda alone. We are aware of the government’s excuses to impose restrictions,” he said.

And over 16,000 contractual employees under the National Health Mission are on strike, allegedly affecting Covid testing in the state. When 9300 samples were tested on Monday, 419 returned positive. The Centre recommends 40,000 tests daily.

Dr Raj Kumar Verka, the minister for medical education, has appealed to the striking workers to return to work. He also expressed concern after the Delhi chief minister contracted coronavirus. “The Delhi CM had recently visited Punjab, and on Tuesday morning he tested positive. So we are taking adequate steps,” he said.

Hundred students from Rajindra Medical College, Patiala as well as some students of Thaper University, Patiala, and Adesh Medical College, Bathinda, have also tested positive.

Punjab has been reporting fewer than 50 cases for more than ten weeks till December 28 but the figure touched a triple digit on December 29, when it reached 100.


Comment on this Story

Search Fom Archive in This Category