An Indian high court has laid the blame on the country’s election commission for the devastating second wave of COVID-19 as it failed to stop massive political rallies in the country, where coronavirus protocols were violated, reported Hindustan Times.
The Madras High Court, which issued the remarks, suggested that officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) should be tried on murder charges over their poor decision making.
The remarks were issued by the court’s first bench of chief justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy hearing a petition filed by transport minister of Indian state of Tamil Nadu MR Vijayabhaskar.
It warned that it could also stop ECI from counting votes on May 2 unless the body shares a blueprint on April 30 on COVID-19 protocol at counting centres.
“At no cost can counting result as a catalyst for a further surge, politics or no politics, whether the counting takes place in a staggered manner or is deferred,” the court was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
“You are the only institution that is singularly responsible for the situation today,” the chief justice of the Madras High Court said during the hearing as per the Hindustan Times.
“No action against political parties taking rallies despite court orders. Your election commission officials should be put up on murder charges probably.”
As per the publication the ECI is being criticised by the Indians over its decision to allow political parties with no regard for any COVID-19 protocols. It added that the body at multiple times has issued a statement urging leaders to follow COVID-19 protocols but has failed to act against any leader or party for flouting the protocols.
