Ranchi: At a time when the number of Covid cases are dipping in the state and experts are worried about a second wave, supporters of the ruling Mahagathbandhan constituents were seen flooding the streets in great numbers and violating the laid out
pandemic norms after JMM and Congress candidates won in the bypolls on Tuesday.
However, what was more baffling to note is the way the district administrations and the law enforcing agencies feigned ignorance and in some instances, denied any violations on counting day despite evidences.
In the state capital of Ranchi, celebrations were organised at Congress’s headquarters keeping the Covid-19 guidelines in mind, but no leader could be spotted wearing masks while celebrating the victory of Bermo candidate Kumar Jaimangal. Party spokesperson Alok Dubey said, “We ensured that everyone maintained social distancing and wore masks at all times as we distributed sweets and crackers inside the party office premise.” However, the photographs that emerged from the celebrations showed otherwise.
In Dumka, JMM party workers went ahead with celebratory firing and the administration is yet to file an FIR against those who violated the prohibitory norms under Section 144. Even after Dumka police received the video footage of the victory procession and senior officials admitted violations of prohibitory orders, no case was registered till Wednesday evening.
Dumka SDO Maheshwar Mahto said, “The sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) has been directed to conduct an investigation into the incident of celebratory firing and have been asked to lodge an FIR against those involved.”
Officer in-charge (OC) of Muffassil police station, Nawal Kumar Singh, who was also the in-charge of Town police station, said police are still trying to identify the violators. “The FIR in connection with the participation of armed persons in the celebration has not been lodged with Town police station yet as the violators are yet to be identified,” he said.
In Bermo, the district administration failed to enforce the guidelines after 500 Congress and JMM party workers assembled outside the counting centre in Chas following Kumar Jaimangal’s victory.
When contacted, Bokaro deputy commissioner Rajesh Singh denied violations and said, “Although people started assembling near the counting centre, we ensured that they were removed. There was no gathering and the process ended peacefully under strict compliance of Covid-19 protocols.”