Odisha government writes to Centre accusing BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi of violating Covid norms

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra on Friday wrote to his counterpart at the Centre Nityananda Rai accusing Bhubaneswar BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi of violating Covid norms during celebrations of her birthday a day before.
Attaching a video of the birthday celebration on October 8 along with the letter, Mishra said the Bhubaneswar MP was surrounded by hundreds of women, who neither wearing masks (except one) nor maintaining social distancing.
“They indulge in song and dance with utter disregard to Covid guidelines issued under the National Disaster Management Act and the earnest repeated appeals made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the same,” said Mishra.
Stating that such irresponsible behaviour will put her, people near to her and the public at large at grave risk of life, Mishra said Bhubaneswar is fighting a serious battle as many Covid warriors are working night and day to save precious lives while some of the Covid warriors have also sacrificed their lives.
“Such irresponsible behaviour on part of a people’s representative will demotivate the Covid warriors and is an insult to all those, who have lost their lives. It also sends a completely contradictory message to the people at large especially in the light of Prime Minister’s appeal to adhere to Covid norms,” said Mishra.
Mishra also appealed the Union minister to bring the behaviour of the Bhubaneswar MP to the notice of the Prime Minister and Union home minister Amit Shah.
In the letter, Mishra said despite repeated advisories, warnings and booking of at least three cases against the Bhubaneswar MP, there is no improvement on her behaviour.
Earlier, the Bhubaneswar MP and his supporters were fined for not wearing masks and violating social distancing norms during a gathering at a party workers house. There was also allegation of violation of Covid norms by Sarangi during Bhoomi Pujan for a flyover project.
Highlighting that as many as 109 people including five Covid warriors have lost their lives in the fight against Covid-19 in Bhubaneswar city alone, Mishra said the behaviour of the Bhubaneswar MP by violating the Covid-19 norms is a “mockery of the struggles and sufferings that ordinary people are going through”
In her response, Aparajita said there cannot be two standards for two persons in Odisha.
“A couple of days back, when late Pradeep Maharathy was taken to the funeral ground, one minister of the state cabinet along with his colleague in the state assembly, both Covid-19 positive, had participated in the funeral. What did Mishra do at that time? Did he write to the chief minister about the two Covid positive people attending funeral?” asked Aparajita.
Recently, a Puri-based fringe group has also lodged police complaint against state school and mass education minister Samir Dash and Satyabadi BJD MLA Umakant Samantaray for violating Covid regulations by attending cremation of senior BJD leader Pradeep Maharathy at Swargadwar, Puri. Both Dash and Samantaray had attended the cremation despite being tested positive for Covid-19 recently.
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