Delhi HC Asks Centre & EC: Why Are Masks Not Mandatory At Election Rallies?

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) as to why wearing face masks is not mandatory during poll campaigns in the ongoing elections in various states and union territories.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notice to the Centre and the EC and sought their response to the application by Vikram Singh, the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh and also the chairman of think tank Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), ZeeNews reported.

The application has been listed for further hearing on April 30. The court will also hear Singh’s main petition seeking to debar campaigners and candidates from campaigning in the assembly elections for repeatedly violating the mandatory guidelines issued by the poll panel in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advocate Virag Gupta, appearing for Singh, told the bench that the poll body should “create awareness through digital, print and electronic media for compulsory masking and social distancing during assembly elections”.

“When all the authorities are unanimous on mandatory masking, it defies logic as to why the rule should not be enforced in election campaigns,” Gupta argued, the report added.