A number of Calcuttans have petitioned the Election Commission of India to take steps to ensure that Covid-appropriate behaviour is observed during election campaigns, where safety protocols are now routinely violated.

Environmental activist Subhas Datta wrote to the commission on Tuesday, saying one “cannot afford to be negligent” and stop taking protective measures against Covid, which is spreading at an alarming rate across the country, just because elections are on.

He warned that violation of the mask mandate at election rallies might result in a disaster.

Referring to “total lack of compliance” of safety measures, Datta wrote: “During the current course of the state Assembly elections, the political parties and their leaders are not at all following the prescribed practices of social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitisation process during the election campaign.”

Several doctors’ organisations, including the West Bengal Doctors Forum and the Protect the Warriors, have also written to the poll panel with the appeal that adherence to Covid protocols be made mandatory at election rallies and roadshows.

S.Y. Quraishi, a former chief election commissioner of India, told Metro on Tuesday: “Article 324 of the Constitution gives the commission the power to conduct free and fair polls. The commission can bar a candidate from campaigning for a day or more if it feels that his/her action has endangered the safety of voters, because it is also the commission’s responsibility to safeguard the safety of voters.”

The number of Covid-19 cases in the state has witnessed a sharp spike and the numbers are rising every day. On March 1, Bengal had recorded 171 new infections. Calcutta had accounted for 70 cases.

The number of active cases – people who are yet to recover or complete their quarantine period after testing positive - in the state was 3,253 on March 1. Calcutta had 1,201 cases.

The numbers have increased by nearly four times in little over a month, with the state recording 2,058 new cases (582 of them in Calcutta) on Monday. The number of active cases stood at 12,775 on Monday, with the city accounting for 4,338 of them.

Public health specialist K. Srinath Reddy conceded that maintaining a gap of 6 feet between two persons might not be possible everywhere but he stressed the need to wear masks in public places at all times.

“If everyone wears a mask, the risks of transmission of Covid-19 gets substantially reduced, even in a crowded place. Several studies have proved this,” said Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

“Even at a place where people are shouting slogans, masks can protect people. But everyone needs to wear masks. Masks also protect people travelling in crowded public transport.”

Datta and other petitioners want the election commission to bar a candidate from campaigning or impose other stringent punishments on a candidate if it is found that safety norms are flouted at a rally addressed by him or her.

A doctor said he was surprised that no leader had ever urged supporters to wear masks during rallies. “When leaders are not behaving responsibly, the commission must step in and ensure that norms are followed,” the doctor said.

The Covid-19 guidelines published by the ministry of home affairs mention that “wearing of face cover is mandatory in public places” and “individuals must maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet in public places”.