Yogi and the langar distributor are considered close to a senior Congress leader from Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s hometown, Patiala. The district has reported 55 cases so far. (File)
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS after Congress leader and Senior Deputy Mayor of Patiala Yoginder Singh Yogi allegedly violated home quarantine to distribute ration to 300 people, he was issued a showcause notice by the health department Friday evening, after much dilly-dallying.
Yogi, who had come in contact with a langar distributor, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 14, violated quarantine on Thursday as he got photographed with beneficiaries. Both Yogi and the langar distributor are considered close to a senior Congress leader from Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s hometown, Patiala. The district has reported 55 cases so far.
No action was taken for 24 hours despite Additional Chief Secretary, Punjab Karan Bir Singh Sidhu writing on his Facebook in the morning that the Patiala SSP would take action against him.
Dr Harish Malhotra, Patiala civil surgeon, told The Indian Express in the evening, “We have issued him a showcause notice to reply within 24 hours. We will take action after his reply.”
SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu said he had not received any communication from the administration to take action against Yogi.
Yogi, meanwhile, took to Facebook and posted a video in which he was talking a ‘dog bite’ victim having come to seek help. He was heard daring the media to help such people instead of getting after him. He is heard denying that he had distributed ration. He is also heard saying that he had gotten himself tested and that the report had come negative.
The Opposition trained its guns at the government after Yogi’s violation. The SAD asked the chief minister to sack Yogi for violating quarantine and endangering the lives of 300 people.
Former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra said the senior deputy mayor had been directed to home quarantine himself till April 29 but he instead came out to attend a public function six days before his quarantine period was to end.
Urging the chief minister to take immediate action, Rakhra said that in Rajpura alone, there had been 24 new cases which were a direct fallout of gambling and hookah parties being held in the town under political patronage. He said strict action should be taken against all politicians involved in the Rajpura case also.
The SAD leader also asked Punjab Pradesh Congress President Sunil Jakhar to take severe action against Yogi, saying he should be sacked from the party to send out a clear signal that such transgressions would not be be tolerated under any cost.
PPCC chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar said, “Everyone, especially public representatives, has to adhere to instructions…If they follow social distancing norms and stay home only then the people will take these instructions seriously. But I do realise the the public representatives are in a Catch-22 situation. Whether they show up or they don’t, either way they get it. Still there is no excuse for anyone. I appeal to all the party leaders to follow quarantine rules.”