UP Election 2022: Congress revokes all poll rallies in UP, CM Yogi Adityanath calls off Noida event
The experts have already declared the third wave of Covid-19 infection led by the Omicron strain in the country.
FollowThe Congress party revoked all political programs and rallies scheduled in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, post the shocking incident in Bareilly district yesterday, where hundreds of female participants were seen without masks and were nearly caught in a stampede.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too called off a government function in Gautam Buddh Nagar district as the region reports the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the state.
The ruling party has not yet confirmed if all of its events and rallies are canceled like Congress. The state will soon vote for a new government and parties are planning events, which will assemble thousands of people and make it difficult to follow Covid protocols. The experts have already declared a third wave of Covid-19 infections led by the Omicron strain in the country.
A stampede-like situation occurred during a marathon event organized by Congress in Bareilly, and videos surfaced on the internet, where hundreds of women were seen without masks, grouped for a marathon.
In the visuals, the entire road was crowded, and as they started, a few participants tripped and fell in front, causing a scary incident as most of them pushed to get past those in the front. The incident almost called for a stampede, and 3 minor girls were injured.
The Allahabad High Court last month asked the Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a call on the scheduled election in a state in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases across the country.
Last week it was announced after the meeting between the Union Health Ministry officials and the Election Commission that the election will be contested as scheduled.
Preventive measures were announced considering Covid-19, including extension in voting hours, increasing voting booths. However, the commission did not cancel the organized meetups by all the parties including BJP and Congress.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said, "Our responsibility begins after poll dates are announced and the model code of conduct kicks in. Till then, the responsibility lies with the state government, and they would act as per recommendations of the state disaster management authority."
