On Monday, the Madras High Court made scathing remarks about the manner in which the Election Commission of India had conducted the recent...
On Monday, the Madras High Court made scathing remarks about the manner in which the Election Commission of India had conducted the recent Assembly polls in four states.
Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said the Election Commission was singularly responsible for the second wave of Covid-19 ripping through the country. “Were you on another planet when election rallies were held?” the court asked the commission. “Your officers should be booked on murder charges probably.”
The Madras High Court is not the only High Court that had taken up the problem of Covid-19 protocols being flouted during the Assembly polls. Since the second week of April, the Calcutta High Court has been asking the commission to ensure strict adherence to pandemic norms. It even said that election officials would be held personally responsible for violations.
Over the last few weeks, several High Courts in the country have taken up petitions, sometimes of their own accord, relating to the government’s inadequate response to the second wave of the pandemic. Of particular note are proceedings in the Bombay and Delhi High Courts, which intervened to ensure the supply of oxygen to hospitals and availability of antiviral drugs for Covid-19 patients.
Many of these High Court proceedings continued on Monday.
In the meantime, on April...
