The Uttar Pradesh police lodged an FIR against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday for allegedly flouting Covid -19 norms while campaigning for a Congress candidate in Noida for the assembly polls, officials said.
Baghel, along with some supporters, was in Noida for a door-to-door campaign in support of Congress' Pankhuri Pathak when the alleged violations took place.
The case, lodged under the Epidemic Diseases Act, names 'others' also as accused besides the senior Congress leader from Chhattisgarh, even as Pathak said the development was indicative of fear due to the growing support base of her party.
"The FIR was lodged against Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and others for violating COVID-19 rules as set by the Election Commission when they were in the Sector 113 police station area today (Sunday), a police spokesperson said.
Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (unlawfully or negligently spreading infection of any disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) have also been invoked in the case, the official added.
Pathak, the Congress' Noida candidate, also alleged police failure in controlling crowd during a popular CM's visit and said they are not afraid of the FIR.
"The fear of the growing support base of the Congress has started reflecting. I and three other people were with the Chhattisgarh CM. Now when a popular chief minister comes, people come to meet him. It is the failure of the police that the crowd was allowed to gather there. The Congress is strongly contesting the elections in Noida. We are not afraid of FIR, she said.
Earlier in the day, Baghel reached Uttar Pradesh on an unofficial tour to campaign for Pathak, who will be taking on the sitting Noida MLA and BJP heavyweight Pankaj Singh in the February 10 polls.
Pathak is fighting the election on issues of inflation, unemployment and for the issues of the youth, women and farmers, he told reporters.
Baghel said the Congress will have election results that will shock the rivals and his party's manifesto would be implemented in UP the way it is being done in Chhattisgarh.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi had appointed Bhupesh Baghel as the AICC observer for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, possibly bringing the speculation over change of guard in Chhattisgarh to an end.
The Congress was in ferment in Chhattisgarh for the last few months despite a massive mandate because cabinet minister T.S. Singhdeo wanted to become the chief minister, saying there was an understanding of mid-way rotation with Baghel. The high command never formally denied the rotation formula but looked reluctant to change the chief minister.
While the MLAs supporting Singhdeo have been campaigning for a change for some time, supporters of Baghel reached Delhi over the last few days to lobby for their leader.
Over 35 MLAs are said to be in Delhi to convey to the high command that Baghel should not be changed.
Saturday’s decision to give him the charge of Uttar Pradesh indicates he is going to continue. His services might have been used because of the resources he can deploy as the chief minister.
Baghel promptly thanked Sonia for giving him the “big responsibility” and promised to rise to the party’s expectations.
