SAD president, AAP leaders among 200 people booked for violating Covid norms in Mohali

The Mohali police on Monday booked SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other senior leaders of the party among 200 people for allegedly violating COVID norms here, the police said.

Several AAP leaders were also booked for allegedly flouting COVID norms on Sunday for staging a protest in Mohali, informed Satinder Singh, SSP Mohali.

This comes after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) members staged a protest outside Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu's house in Mohali, demanding his dismissal over the alleged sale of COVID-19 vaccine by the Punjab government to private hospitals.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), held a sit-in outside the residence of the Health Minister on Sunday.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had directed the Director-General of Police to register cases under the Disaster Management Act against Opposition leaders and workers who have been staging dharnas in the state over the past few days.

Terming such acts of the Shiromani Akali (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an irresponsible and utter violation of the strict curbs in place in the state in view of the pandemic spread, the Chief Minister asked DGP Dinkar Gupta to take action against them under the law.

The AAP on Monday accused the Punjab government of doing a scam in purchasing Fateh kits, which are used for the treatment of COVID patients. AAP state president and MP Bhagwant Mann and MLA from Delhi and Punjab affairs in-charge Jarnail Singh on Monday said that Amarinder Singh-led Congress government had set a record of scams even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had demanded a High Court-monitored probe into the alleged selling of COVID vaccine doses by the Punjab government to private hospitals for profit.

"The Punjab government is getting vaccines at Rs 400 but selling them to private hospitals at Rs 1,060. And private hospitals is administering vaccine on higher prices. A case should be registered against Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu for diverting vaccines meant for the common man to private institutions," Badal had said.

( With inputs from ANI )