Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday pulled up the state government for being casual on implementing social distancing norms as a means to check the spread of virus. The court told the government it is ‘playing’ with the lives of citizens by not implementing social distancing in public places.
The court wanted legal sanction to social distancing so it could be implemented as a rule, rather than just a guideline. Chief Justice AS Oka asked the state and central governments to clarify their position on how to legally implement physical distancing norms.
It was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by a Bengaluru-based organisation, Letzkit Foundation, over the violation of physical distancing norms in the state.
The plea said roadshows and other events are being held by politicians by all political parties and politicians are violating the lockdown norms. “Without naming any political party, we have submitted photographic evidence of such events and also of the recent funeral of an actor in south Bengaluru where there were multiple violations,” advocate Puttige Ramesh, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, told ‘The News Minute’.
The court wondered if public can report incidents of violation of social distancing norms and asked if the state had taken any action against violators and under which legal provisions.
