BJP slams Jharkhand govt on Rs 1 lakh fine for not wearing mask

BJP has slammed the Jharkhand government for imposing fine of rupees one lakh on people for not wearing the mask in public places. Terming it a "senseless decision", the party demanded that the rule be withdrawn immediately.

New Delhi: Condemning the Jharkhand government's decision to impose a heavy fine on people for not wearing the mask, the BJP on Saturday said it was "senseless and could be misused by the police to harass the public".

Speaking to the ETV Bharat here, BJP national spokesperson Sudesh Verma said the state government must spread awareness first and then impose fines for not following the rules to contain the coronavirus pandemic. "Police may harass people. It should be withdrawn immediately and if at all fine is to be imposed it has to be done in a sensible way," the BJP leader said.

Verma questioned the Jharkhand government's decision to impose such a heavy fine, asking "do they think people living in villages could pay such a heavy amount as fine"?

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Recently, the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand brought in an ordinance declaring that people not wearing masks in public places would be charged rupees one lakh as fine and jailed for two years for the offence.

However, the state government in a press release issued on Friday, said that the fine amount is not fixed and it would be done later.