Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP star campaigner Shivraj Singh Chouhan cancelled his scheduled bypolls campaign meets in Ashok Nagar and Datia districts in wake of a Madhya Pradesh High Court bench order restraining political parties from holding physical congregations that violate COVID-19 protocols.
However, the CM has said that while there is full respect for the interim order of Gwalior bench of MP High Court, a petition will be filed in Supreme Court “to seek justice” as the HC direction had caused a situation where two norms prevail in the same country.
Meanwhile, ex-chief minister and MP Congress Committee chief Kamal Nath went ahead with his scheduled campaign meets in Ambah and Jaura of Morena district. Nath’s media coordinator, Narendra Saluja, said that all rules and norms were followed while conducting the meetings.
While announcing his decision to cancel the campaign meets in Shadora of Ashok Nagar constituency and Barach in Bhander constituency of Datia, CM Chouhan said that a confusing situation has emerged as campaign meets could be held in one part of Madhya Pradesh and not in others. Also public rallies are held in Bihar but are restrained in part of Madhya Pradesh.
“So we will be approaching the Supreme Court to seek justice and we are sure we will get justice. Then I will be back to these constituencies and address people,” the CM said while seeking apology from the people of these constituencies.
A two-member bench of the Gwalior bench of MP High Court had issued interim directions to the district magistrates of nine districts falling within the court's territorial jurisdiction, restraining them from giving permission to any candidate/political party for holding physical congregations of any number of people unless the political party applying for it satisfied the DM that holding a virtual election campaign was not possible.
The districts for which the restrain orders were issued include Gwalior, Guna, Morena, Bhind, Ashok Nagar, Datia, Shivpuri, Sheopur and Vidisha.
The court further said that the decision of the district magistrate permitting any political party to conduct physical congregation shall become effective only after the Election Commission of India (ECI) approved the same in writing. Further conditions were also imposed on political parties/candidates as the court said that physical meets were to be allowed only after parties/candidates deposited enough money with DMs for purchase of masks and sanitisers for double the number of people attending the physical meets and such masks and sanitisers were distributed among the attendees before the meet started.
