Case against Shivraj Chouhan's roadshow in Indore for alleged COVID-19 norms violation

INDORE: Police have registered a case of alleged violation of COVID-19 guidelines during a roadshow of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Indore's Sanver area where an Assembly bypoll is scheduled on November 3, an official said on Tuesday.

The roadshow was held on Monday evening following which an FIR was registered against a local BJP leader on whose application the permission was given for the roadshow in Sanver area, he said.

The nod was given on the condition that COVID-19 norms of social distancing and others will be followed and only five vehicles would be allowed in the roadshow, Sanver police station in-charge Santosh Kumar Dudhi said.

As per a letter received by the police station from the office of the returning officer, there were 20 to 25 vehicles in the roadshow, he said.

Also, social distancing norms were not followed and many persons did not even wear masks for protection against the viral infection, the official said.

The FIR was registered on Monday night under Indian Penal Code Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) against local BJP leader Dinesh Bhavsar as the permission for the roadshow was given on his application, he said.

Sanver is one of the 28 state Assembly seats where by-elections will be held on November 3.

BJP leader Tulsiram Silawat, the state's water resources minister, is pitted against former Lok Sabha member and Congress candidate Prem Chand Guddu in Sanver, which is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.