Maharashtra: Defying COVID-19 lockdown, 200 gather to celebrate BJP MLA's birthday
About 200 people gathered at the residence of Wardha BJP MLA Dadarao Keche on Sunday, when he celebrated his birthday, throwing social distancing caution to the wind.
FollowNagpur: Amid the nationwide lockdown, BJP MLA Dadarao Keche in Mahrashtra's Wardha district has landed in trouble for flouting the norms of social distancing when 200 people gathered at his residence to celebrate his birthday on Sunday, The Indian Express reported.
Although Keche denied the allegations, the local sub-divisional officer has issued a notice under various provisions against Keche for violation of rules invoked in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the media report Keche said, "I had invited only 21 labourers, who have lost their livelihood due to coronavirus, and distributed food grains to them. After that I left to visit my guru Bhikaram Baba at Ashta around 11 am. But my political adversaries took advantage of the situation to spread the word that I am distributing food grains leading to several people thronging my residence. When I got the information I rushed back and dispersed the crowd with the help of police.”
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Army Sub-Divisional Officer Harish Dharmik has issued a notice to local police to take action in the matter under provisions of Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Act, Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code and IPC Sections 188 and 269.
Wardha Collector Vivek Bhimanwar said, "We had not given him any permission for the programme nor had he sought one from us. He had expressed a desire for a blood donation camp which we had refused permission for. Instead, we allowed blood donation by five persons on the occasion at Arvi Primary Health Centre (PHC) adhering to the social distancing norm. As soon as the police got information about the crowd at his residence, they swung into action and dispersed it. The SDO has directed police to conduct an inquiry."
Wardha Superintendent of Police Basavraj Teli, however, confirmed that Keche was at home when the crowd gathered. "We have registered an offence in this regard against Keche," he said in the report.
Meanwhile, district president of BJP's women wing in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur, Manju Tiwari fired shots in air on Sunday while observing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for candlelight vigil at 9 pm.
In the video which went viral on social media, Tiwari could be seen resorting to celebratory firing, flouting the norms of lockdown order.
