Relaxations in Kerala ‘uncalled for’, says SC
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday termed as “wholly uncalled for” the Kerala government’s decision to relax restrictions for Bakrid in areas with a high positivity rate, and giving in to pressure from traders discloses a “sorry state of affairs”.
Directing the state government to “heed the Right to Life”, the apex court also warned Kerala it will take action if the easing of curbs leads to further spread of the virus. “To give in to pressure groups (of traders) so that the citizenry of India is laid bare to a nationwide pandemic discloses a sorry state of affairs... assurances from traders and nothing more do not inspire any confidence in the people of India or this court,” the bench said.
The bench on Monday asked the Kerala government to file its response on the application against the three-day relaxation in Covid restrictions in view of Bakrid on Wednesday. The state said the curbs have resulted in an economic slowdown.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday termed as “wholly uncalled for” the relaxations granted by the Kerala government for the Bakrid festival in areas having the highest positivity rate and warned that it will take action if the easing of curbs leads to spread of the virus.
The apex court pulled up the state government for giving in to traders’ pressure by granting relaxations ahead of Bakrid and said it disclosed a “sorry state of affairs”. A bench of justices R F Nariman and B R Gavai said that the citizenary of India has been laid bare to the nationwide pandemic by grant of such relaxations by the Kerala government. “We direct the Kerala government to give heed to the Right to Life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution,” the bench said. The bench was hearing an application which raised the issue of relaxations granted by Kerala in view of the Bakrid festival.
It was filed in a matter in which the apex court had last week taken suo motu cognisance of earlier media reports on the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to allow Kanwar Yatra amid the pandemic
Meanwhile, the Kerala government has told the Supreme Court that it is “vigorously vaccinating” people against Covid-19 and is expected to inoculate at least 60 per cent of its population within two or three months. In an affidavit filed in the apex court in response to an application raising issue of relaxations granted by Kerala in view of Bakrid festival, the state said it has vaccinated 45 per cent of its 18+ population with at least one dose and 18 per cent have been vaccinated with two doses. It said state has taken a “scientific and pragmatic approach” for conceiving and implementing various measures for curbing the spread of pandemic and the strategy is based on a rational balance of life and livelihood.