Yogi Adityanath warns against harassment in name of Covid-19 protocols

Harassment in the name of Covid-19 protocols will not be tolerated, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told officials on Thursday as he asked them to create awareness and encourage people to follow the guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The chief minister warned of stern action if complaints of harassment were received, an official spokesperson said here.

Adityanath also clarified that there is no requirement for police or administrative permission for organising weddings, the official said.

"Wedding functions can be held by complying with necessary Covid protocols and guidelines. There is no ban on DJs and bands... band group members are exempted from the restrictions on such events," Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal told reporters.

"Only the nearest police station is to be informed that the event is being held by following Covid-19 protocols," Sehgal said.

Misleading information is being circulated on social media platforms like WhatsApp about Covid-19 regulations, lockdown etc, Sehgal said as he asked people to ignore such messages.

"These should not be relied upon and information provided only by the government should be considered," Sehgal said.

The chief minister has warned of strict action against officials and policemen who stop DJs and bands from playing in weddings, he added.

On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government had issued fresh guidelines restricting the number of people attending an indoor event (outside containment zones) to 100.

Similarly, in the case of outdoor programmes, less than 40 per cent of the area of the venue will be allowed to be occupied by people.

In both the scenarios, use of face masks, sanitisers, thermal scanning and maintaining social distancing are mandatory.