Coronavirus: Violation of 'Social Distancing' Protocol in Tripura CM Programme

Guwahati, April 23, 2020:

At a time when leaders across the world are seen leading by example in the charge against the coronavirus, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has recently been seen in close proximity to swarms of people at an event held in Sepahijala district to address the concerns of storm-hit people in the aftermath of a massive hailstorm that hit certain parts of Tripura yesterday.

In some pictures from the programme, the Chief Minister of the state can be seen taking part in a relief programme, attended by hundreds of people who had incurred huge losses during the recent thunderstorms in the state.

The Chief Minister, who was also accompanied by BJP MP Pratima Bhowmick to the squall-affected region, reached the area with a mission to provide relief to people suffering amid the severe thunderstorms in Tripura. However, in pictures people can be seen openly flouting social distancing norms in plain view of the CM and his entourage.

A large number of officials and camerapersons, in a mad scramble to click snaps of the CM's visit, can also be seen getting "too close for comfort". Interestingly, the relief rooms were prepared in such a way as to make social distancing possible. However, the CM'S contingent was seen openly flouting the rules and the attendees were seen clustering together.

The CM can also be seen handing a cheque to a storm-affected man without wearing any gloves or any other kind of protection, something that has been advised against by the Health Ministry amid the crisis. The coronavirus, it may be recalled, passes from one person to another primarily through contact.

“The massive strike of hailstorm has resulted in serious problems to the agricultural sector and other cash crops plantations such as rubber. The storm devastated everything that came in its way. The administration has already started work to resolve the issue and prepared the list of beneficiaries from the state's disaster response fund”, the CM said, addressing the media in the programme.

ALSO READ: Tripura: Thunderstorm Wreaks Havoc, Over 5,000 People Sent to Relief Camps

Deb, whose state has so far reported two cases of the COVID-19, had earlier landed in the proverbial soup for a slip of tongue. On April 2, while attending a “mock drill” to test the State’s preparedness to deal with COVID-19, Biplab had mistakenly said that “19 coronavirus cases have been found in Manipur and 16 coronavirus cases have been found in Karimganj, Assam.”

In a rebuttal, former Tripura Congress Chief and MLA, Gopal Roy filed an FIR against the CM, allegedly for making false pronouncements to the press.

Subsequently, in an apparent backlash to the FIR, lawyer Arabinda Deb filed an FIR against Ray at the New Capital Complex police station for using the national emblem in his letter pad. Den said, “there are some specific guidelines to use the national emblem formulated by the Supreme Court of India. When a lawmaker loses his chair, he can not use this prestigious symbol arbitrarily. It is a punishable offence”.

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