A PETITION MOVED TO ALLAHABAD HC SEEKING DIRECTIONS TO RESTRAIN FROM TAKING ACTION AGAINST PEOPLE APPEALING FOR OXYGEN SUPPLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

28th April 2021

A petition has been moved to Allahabad HC by Activist Saket Gokhale seeking directions to restrain the UP government from taking action against people appealing for oxygen supply and other medicines on social media. The Petition also seeks the protection of independent volunteers helping covid 19 patients through the social media platform.

Activist Gokhale avers that recently the Amethi police, UP, booked a boy under criminal charges for requesting the availability of oxygen to save his grandfather on Twitter. Gokhale argued that such criminal charges are gross misconduct of power by the state; it takes away the fundamental right of life and liberty. Threatening families of covid 19 patients who might be facing a shortage of oxygen leads them to death and prevent them from reaching out for help.

UP Chief Minister Adityanath, during a virtual meeting, said that there is no shortage of oxygen in hospitals and that action will be retaken, people spreading rumours. Whereas the Allahabad HC took note of the acute shortage of oxygen and sought a report from the Government over the same.

Author: Papiha Ghoshal

Pc - the wire