Madhya Pradesh MLAs flout COVID rules in Assembly premises

BHOPAL: A day after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered compliance with mandatory use of face masks in Indore and Bhopal amid a surge in Covid-19 cases, many lawmakers were seen flouting the directive in the Assembly premises.

The violators included BJP MLAs Usha Thakur, Ramesh Mendola, Yashpal Singh Sisodiya and former health minister Ajay Vishnoi and Congress legislators Sunil Saraf, Siddharth Kushwah and Alok Chaturvedi. When questioned, the legislators made various excuses.

Usha Thakur, who is the minister of state for tourism and culture, said, “I regularly do yoga and blow conch.  So, there is less possibility of me being infected. I use my dupatta to cover my face when needed."

BSP’s Rambai Thakur claimed she feels uneasy and nauseous on wearing mask while Kushwah claimed, “I’ve already had Covid-19 in the recent past, so I’ll not get infected again. Still, if you want to make it an issue, you’re free to do so.”