On Monday, the High Court of Delhi refused to entertain a plea by a Congress leader seeking postponement of assembly elections in 5 states on the grounds that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was spreading fast.
The Delhi High Court, while terming the plea by Congress leader Jagdish Sharma as frivolous, asked whether the petitioner was living on Mars as cases of COVID-19 are declining.
Expressing displeasure, a bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi & Justice Jasmeet Singh said, “It is a frivolous petition. Are you living on Mars. Delhi is now dealing with a declining number of cases. You withdraw it or we will dismiss it with cost.” The lawyer for the petitioner then withdrew the plea.
Mr Sharma had sought directions to postpone the elections citing the third wave of COVID-19 as the Omicron variant is spreading fast.
He also sought directions to the Central & State Govts to submit a plan for the distribution of essential supplies & services during the third wave of the pandemic.
He urged the Court to direct the Govts to submit the plan for availability & distribution of oxygen & to give directions to the Election Commission to postpone the polls for a few weeks or months in all the five states.
The assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand & Manipur are starting from Feb 10 & will end on March 7. The results will be announced on March 10.
"The court should also order a writ in the nature of mandamus, thereby directing the Delhi Govt to issue a direction for 14 days or less quarantine for people returning", from these states where the election process has commenced, the plea said.
The petitioner cited the devastation caused during the second wave last year when a large number of people lost their lives due to shortage of beds & oxygen as the virus spread rapidly in the country.
He also pointed out inadequacies in the arrangements to prevent the spread of the virus & for treating the Covid patients.
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