Akhilesh Yadav Cancels Vijay Rath Yatra In Ayodhya Over Covid

Akhilesh Yadav had cancelled one other rally in western UP final month (File)

New Delhi:

Samajwadi Celebration’s Vijay Rath Yatra in Ayodhya, scheduled for January 9, has been cancelled as Covid instances proceed to rise fuelled by the Omicron variant. Celebration chief Akhilesh Yadav has additionally known as off his different rallies in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda and Basti on January 7 and January 8.

Political events are aggressively campaigning within the state within the build-up to the high-stakes February-March elections.

Final month, Akhilesh Yadav had cancelled one other rally in western UP and mentioned he would keep away from public occasions for 3 days after his spouse and daughter examined optimistic.

Mr Yadav shared his Covid-negative report on Twitter and mentioned he had taken the choice as a precautionary transfer since his members of the family have been contaminated.

On Wednesday, Congress had written to the Election Fee asking it to “cancel large rallies (within the state) in view of an anticipated third wave of Covid instances”. Congress has postponed all its occasions within the poll-bound state over the latest surge in instances believed to be pushed by the extremely transmissible Omicron variant. India reported 58,097 instances in 24 hours on Wednesday – the sixth each day enhance prior to now 9 days.

“Congress has determined to postpone main rallies in UP and different poll-bound states. We’ve requested state items to evaluate the COVID-19 scenario of their states after which take a call on holding rallies,” the social gathering’s Normal Secretary, KC Venugopal, was quoted by information company ANI.

In the meantime, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has additionally cancelled a authorities perform within the state’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district scheduled for at this time. Whereas no official purpose was given, the district has reported the very best variety of Covid instances from the state prior to now week. The cancellation adopted stunning scenes from UP’s Bareilly district Tuesday, the place a whole lot of girls and teenage ladies have been with out masks throughout a celebration occasion that nearly led to a near-stampede scenario.

The Allahabad Excessive Court docket final month had requested the Election Fee to defer the UP polls, even when solely by a number of months. Nevertheless, after assembly with Well being Ministry officers the Fee mentioned the polls shall be carried out as scheduled.

Some preventive measures have been introduced – together with extending voting hours and growing the variety of voting cubicles – however the Fee shied away from instantly cracking down on political rallies attended by tens of 1000’s of and through which social distancing is absent.

UP reported 989 new instances in 24 hours on Wednesday, of which 23 have been of the Omicron pressure. Total the state’s lively Covid caseload is at 3,173 – 31 are Omicron infections.