A file photo of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. | Photo: ANI
A file photo of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. | Photo: ANI
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New Delhi: As the Rajasthan political crisis reached a happy ending Thursday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal posed for a smiling selfie.

In the photo, all three can be seen with their masks. But while Pilot and Venugopal wore the mask to cover their nose, as Covid-19 guidelines say, Gehlot’s mask only covered his mouth.

Since the beginning of the political drama in Rajasthan, Gehlot has made several public appearances, wearing masks in multiple (wrong) ways amid the raging pandemic that has now killed over 48,000 Indians.

But Gehlot isn’t alone. Questions have been raised about the propriety of leaders not adhering to safety norms. At last week’s Ayodhya bhoomi pujan, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das didn’t wear a mask while some others, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, wore it under their nose. Das tested positive Thursday.

Experts say this is sending a wrong message at a time when following protocols is crucial to contain the outbreak.

Dr Sundeep Salvi, director, Pulmocare Research and Education (PURE) Foundation, said politicians are role models in society. Not only should they be wearing masks on a continual basis, especially in photos, but also wear it in the correct manner.

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“When politicians wear their masks in an incorrect manner or constantly keep touching it and move it up and down or wear N95 masks with valves, which are not the right masks to wear at all, they are setting a bad example for the community. They are meant to be leaders,” he said.

But while Indian leaders don’t seem to be taking a cue, here’s a look at six occasions when Gehlot taught us how not to wear a mask.

Also read: No need for post-mortem in Rajasthan crisis, govt is far from dead, says Congress’ Venugopal

What you shouldn’t do

On 14 July, when Sachin Pilot was removed as deputy CM as well as state Congress president, Gehlot spoke to the media about his good governance, and how the fight against Covid was nowhere near over. However, even with multiple cameras pointed at him, Gehlot’s mask was lowered below his mouth, serving as a chin strap.

Ten days later, Gehlot spoke to the media again about the political crisis and how he had requested the Governor to call for an assembly session. But this time his mask fell even lower — to become a neck strap.

On 27 July, Gehlot shared a picture of his cabinet and tweeted about the preparedness in dealing with Covid in Rajasthan and how all efforts were being made to treat even the most serious Covid patients. And yet, in a room full of people, Gehlot’s mask was only covering his mouth.

Two days later, Gehlot shared pictures of himself and Govind Singh Dotasra at a ceremony where the latter took charge as the new state party president. While most ministers had their masks on properly, Gehlot’s didn’t go above his mouth. Dotasra didn’t even bother wearing one.

On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on 3 August, Gehlot gave interviews to the media about how the Modi government was indulging in horse-trading and trying to topple state governments. This time the mask fell back to being a chin accessory.

The crisis continued, and so did Gehlot’s disregard for protocols. On 9 August, the World Tribal Day, Gehlot shared images of his cabinet as he spoke about development efforts in the state to uplift adivasis. The mask still couldn’t be lifted up.

Finally, as the Rajasthan crisis was resolved internally, Gehlot spoke to the media Wednesday about the need to “Forget and forgive and move forward.” No prizes for guessing the mask’s position.

However, one special occasion must also be noted: When he met Governor Kalraj Mishra on 18 July, Gehlot followed the norms and the mask was where it should be.

Also read: Three reasons why the Sachin Pilot-Ashok Gehlot war has just begun in Rajasthan

 

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