After Assembly at Samajwadi Party Office, FIR Against 2,500 for COVID Violations
The EC had banned public rallies, roadshows, and corner meetings till 15 January in the five poll-bound states.
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police on Friday, 14 January, lodged a case against 2,000-2,500 Samajwadi Party (SP) activists for gathering at the party's office in violation of the COVID-19 norms.
Party workers, leaders, and others had assembled in large numbers outside the SP office earlier on Friday, during the induction ceremony of former UP minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya and others.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Gautam Palli police station in Lucknow, according to the directives of the Election Commission (EC) on COVID-19-related norms, news agency PTI reported, citing officials.
As per the report, the case has been filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 188 (violation of instructions), 269 (spreading infection of disease), 270 (endangering the life of others by spreading infection), and 341 (wrongful restraint of a person), and relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act.
It has also been said in the complaint that through loudspeakers, the SP’s workers were asked to clear the crowd and to remove vehicles but there was no effect.
Lucknow Police Commissioner DK Thakur said that thousands of SP workers blocked the road by parking vehicles around the party’s headquarters haphazardly and illegally organised the gathering.