Alleging violation of Covid-19 protocols during the UDF’s Aishwarya Kerala Yatra, Kannur police have registered a suo moto case against 26 leaders and some 400 activists in Thalliparamb. The police have also registered a suo moto case against Congress workers in the area. Addressing the issue, Ramesh Chennithala, who is leading the yatra, and AICC General Secretary Tariq Anwar have claimed that the cases are politically motivated.
“The government can take action against not 400 but 4,000 people, but would they take the same action against ministers who have violated the protocol. This is a one-sided, politically motivated action to stop the Aishwarya Kerala Yatra. There are astounded by the success and acceptance it has garnered, and they want to stop it,” says Ramesh Chennithala, who added that the yatra will move forward stronger than ever.
Recently, hundreds of people had gathered in an Adalat organised in Alappuzha where a few state ministers had participated. According to sources, many of those gathered at the event had violated several Covid protocols including that id wearing masks and maintaining proper distance. While the organisers had claimed that the event was accessible only to those who had registered for the event, many local leaders and representatives had brought in more people from outside. The police struggled to enforce the protocol as more and more people began rushing in.
Earlier, amidst an increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Kerala, officials gathered in large numbers to cast their votes for the Secretariat canteen board election, and visuals of the incident showed that many had violated Covid-19 protocols by not wearing masks properly and maintaining social distance. However, in both situations, the police did not take action against organisers or the participants, not even by their cognisance. This had led the UDF to conclude that the action against Aishwarya Kerala Yatra had been motivated.
Observing the problematic Covid-19 situation in Kerala and Maharashtra, the Union Health Ministry has decided to send two multi-disciplinary teams to the states to collaborate with the state health departments in establishing an overall mechanism in place to manage the situation. In the last 24 hours, Kerala has registered more than half the total active cases within the country.
