Leaders of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Adilabad district have attracted criticism from common people as well as the conscientious among the party’s rank and file for throwing all caution to wind in ignoring the social distancing norm or wearing the mask.
“This is more likely to endanger the lives of people when the spread of COVID-19 is taking serious proportions,” opined a party grass roots level leader from Gudihatnoor mandal on Saturday as he talked about an event involving Boath MLA Rathod Bapu Rao and several of his party colleagues.
The incident in question was a party meeting-cum-felicitation programme for the Boath MLA held at Gudihatnoor Mandal Parishad President’s office which was also criticised by many for the choice of venue. Not many in the meeting were cautious to wear the mask, including the leader who was felicitated, and the seating arrangement left no scope for maintaining social distancing.
This is not the first time that TRS leaders threw caution to winds. During the June 2 State Formation Day celebration, even chief guest Government Whip Gampa Goverdhan was seen rubbing shoulders, literally, with MLAs Bapu Rao, Jogu Ramanna and Adilabad ZP chairman Janardhan Rathod.
“I was fined for not wearing the mask at the collectorate chowk,” recalled Thatipalli Hanumanthu, a carpenter from Subhashnagar. “Why are authorities looking the other way in the case of these leaders,” he questioned.