At a time when Ahmedabad continues to be the worst affected city in Gujarat with a consistent rise in COVID-19 cases, Mayor Bijal Patel has come in for criticism for not wearing a mask at a function organized to donate PPE kits for frontline corona warriors on Thursday.
The mayor was seen not wearing a mask while posing for a photo opportunity, but it is not immediately known whether she did not wear the mask throughout the function.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state has gone up to 15,562 with 367 new cases being reported in 24 hours ending at 5 pm on Thursday. Out of the 367 cases, 247 are from Ahmedabad. With 22 more patients succumbing to the disease, the death toll in Gujarat rose to 960.
Ahmedabad has accounted for over 70 per cent of the COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state.
The function in which Patel was seen not wearing a mask was held in the lawns of her official residence, in which additional chief secretary, forests and environment, Dr. Rajiv Kumar Gupta, who has been made in-charge of Ahmedabad to handle COVID-19 situation, was seen wearing a mask.
At the function, SBI Life Insurance Company Limited gave away 5,000 PPE kits to frontline corona warriors.
The first citizen of Ahmedabad not wearing a mask is also seen as an embarrassment for the Vijay Rupani-led BJP government that had recently launched a campaign “Hun pan corona warrior” (I am also corona warrior).
An official from Patel’s staff said that the function was held in her residence and it was not necessary to wear a mask.
However, there is an argument that it was an official function though held at home.
Interestingly, Rupani had announced a fine of Rs 200 for those not wearing a mask.
State BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said that each person should wear a mask and show self-discipline and the mayor is no exception. “Though I do not know under what circumstances she did not wear a mask, any elected representative should wear mask, maintain social distancing and keep hand sanitizers. Then only one can be safe against corona and keep others also safe,” he pointed out.
In the past, too, during several interviews given from the lawns of her residence, Patel was seen not wearing a mask.