Krishnanagar, May 26: BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar has been advised to remain in strict home quarantine for two weeks in by the Nadia district administration as a precautionary measure in ‘larger public interest’ since he allegedly mingled up with suspected Covid carriers flouting the safe distancing norms while visiting three quarantine centres meant for the migrant laborers in Nabadwip on Monday afternoon.
The MP, who refused to receive the letter, has termed the initiative as a ‘conspiracy’ to put him in confinement to avoid embarrassing issues of alleged corruption raised by him. He also rubbished the allegation of violating the safe distancing norms leveled against him.
On Monday evening Nadia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Aaparesh Bandopadhyay issued a letter to the Ranaghat MP with the home quarantine ‘advice’.
The MP, who refused to ‘oblige’ the CMOH, has questioned the timing of delivery of the letter by the police team at his residence.
“I am really shocked to find out that the police team knocking my door at 3 am. It appeared they came to catch a criminal. The Nadia police team visited the residence of a member of parliament during the early hours of the morning as they used to do to catch a criminal by conducting a raid”, Sarkar said
At the same time the MP has also raised as to why the CMOH did not bother to issue a similar letter to Nabadwip civic body chairman Bimankrishna Saha, who also visited the same quarantine centre in the town along with his followers apparently flouting the lockdown norms and Covid protocols. “I said this is a double standard. The administration cannot compromise the rule for a ruling party leader. If I have done any mistake, Saha also has done the same thing and cannot be spared at all”, Sarkar said adding that he made no violation of safety norms while visiting the quarantine centres.
“I visited the quarantine center maintaining the social distance, and did not come in close contact with anybody, maintained safe distance too. I challenge them to show any evidence in support of their claim”, Sarkar said claiming that quarantine advice is a deliberate attempt to keep him in confinement so that funds released by the centre for Amphan disaster can be embezzled.
An officer of Nadia’s Covid management cell said, “The MP has been advised as per the protocol of Covid precautions. This is common for all people. We have no prejudice against the MP”.
As per the CMOH letter Sarkar allegedly did not take any precaution while visiting three quarantine centres at three schools in Char Brahmhanagar, Bablaban and Char Majhdia. where high-risk migrant laborers from Maharashtra, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh were quarantined.
Accusing the MP of flouting the Covid precautionary measures, Nadia CMOH in his letter stated, “…you have interacted with some quarantined persons without taking required precautions and without maintaining prescribed social distancing norms and thereby defeated the very purpose of quarantine…..Due to this interaction with high-risk asymptomatic people, you may be at risk of getting infected by Covid 19”
The CMOH later advised him “to be in strict home quarantine for the next 14 days (up to June 14, 2020) for your health purpose as well as in the larger public interest.
Speaking to NfN, Sarkar said, “There is no question to oblige the CMOH. I called him on at least four occasions. But he neither responded to the call nor called me back later. I would ask him why he spared Trinamul’s Nabadwip civic chief Biman Krishna Saha, who too visited the same quarantine centres flouting the lockdown norms with many people. Why this separate treatment?”
A police team led by Ranaghat sub-divisional police officer also visited MP’s residence to convince him for home quarantine. However, the MP remained firm on his decision.
“I told the police and administrative officials who visited my home that I will go for quarantine only after receiving the replies of my questions from the CMOH.