VADODARA: Despite
the Supreme Court and
Gujarat high court coming down heavily on
social gatherings, netas continue to violate
Covid-19 rules with brazen audacity.
The latest in the series of violations by politicians is the
birthday bash organized by former Vadodara mayor
Sunil Solanki. On Wednesday evening, Solanki had organized cake cutting with a large number of his supporters crowding the venue, the city
BJP office.
Supporters were jubilant after Solanki was appointed the city unit general secretary of the BJP. He was celebrating his 50th birthday.
Solanki had decided to celebrate the day with a novel gesture with persons working at the Khaswadi crematorium in the city that is the largest and was the first crematorium for
Covid-19 bodies. He along with family members distributed shawls and sarees to workers at the crematorium and their relatives.
But things seemingly didn’t go the way the former mayor would have expected as a beeline of supporters and party workers started coming to greet him individually or in groups at the BJP office. Some even came with cakes.
The video of Solanki with one such group went viral on Thursday. While many did not wear masks at all, others had their masks dangling on their chins.
On his part, Solanki said that the gathering should not have taken place. “People came to meet me since there was no restriction on people meeting each other. But at that particular moment, some of them got together in a large number unexpectedly,” he said.
Sayajigunj police inspector, S G Solanki said, "We have booked 10 persons in the case. Six have been arrested while four including former mayor Sunil Solanki is yet be nabbed. Solanki wasn't available at his home and we were told that he has gone somewhere. He will be arrested too."
More names will be added in the list of accused based on the video.
All have been booked under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and sections of Epidemic Diseases Act.