By PTI
KOLKATA: TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday said all political programmes and religious gatherings should ideally be withheld over the next two months amid the relentless surge in COVID-19 cases.
The Diamond Harbour MP, when asked about the upcoming polls to four municipal corporations, pointed out that the matter was sub-judice, while also asserting that the West Bengal government and State Election Commission (SC) would abide by the high court order.
The Calcutta High Court has directed West Bengal State Election Commission to file an affidavit on a petition seeking postponement of the elections in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases Banerjee, who attended a review meeting of his constituency’s officials during the day, told reporters, “As the MP of Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat, I can only say what needs to be done in my constituency. Till February 28, there will be no political meeting or major religious gathering in the area. No gathering of over 100-200 people will be allowed.”
He also maintained that double masks will soon be made mandatory in constituency.
Also, control rooms to monitor the COVID-19 cases will be set up across Diamond Harbour, Banerjee said.
“I am of the view that all kinds of political activities, everything should be stopped over next two months.
Nothing is more important than human life,” the TMC MP stated.
Talking about the Gangasagar mela, which began on Saturday, he said attendees must follow the guidelines laid down by the high court.
“I think all parties should put up a united fight against the COVID-19 menace. This isn’t the time to engage in political battles. Let us all fight the virus first,” he said.
Reacting to Banerjee’s remarks, BJP spokesman Samik Bhattacharya said if the TMC MP has “talked about putting political activities on hold, his view is welcome”.
“His party, however, had been claiming that the BJP want the polls deferred as it is scared of defeat. What exactly is the official stand of the ruling TMC?” the saffron party spokesperson wondered.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya also echoed similar sentiments.
“We had been seeking postponement of civic polls for quite some time. The SEC and the government did not pay any heed to us all this while,” he noted.
Sujan Chakraborty, a CPI(M) central committee member, suggested that an all-party meeting should be held before a decision gets taken.
“We have been seeking an all-party meet on this issue. But the dictatorial state administration and partisan SEC did not react,” he added.
Bengal Fire Minister Sujit Bose has again tested positive for COVID-19, following which he has been placed under home isolation, a health official said on Saturday.
Bose, who had contracted the disease in May last year, tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time on Friday night, he said.
“The minister had exhibited COVID symptoms, following which he undertook the RT-PCR test, the result of which returned positive. His symptoms are mild, and he is in home isolation,” the official said.
His family members will be tested for COVID-19 on Saturday, he added.
The state on Saturday reported 18,802 new COVID-19 cases, which raised the tally to 17,30,759, the state health department said in its bulletin.
Nineteen more COVID-related fatalities pushed the toll to 19,883.
Kolkata accounted for 7,337 new cases and North 24 Parganas for 3,286, the bulletin said.
At least 8,112 recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours.
The positivity rate stood at 29.60 per cent and the discharge rate at 95.27 per cent.
Bengal currently has 62,055 active cases.
As many as 63,518 samples were tested since Friday, taking the total number of such clinical examinations to 2,18,02,541.
