Supporters celebrate birthday of BJP leader in Indore, flout COVID norms

Supporters of a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader celebrated her birthday at a vaccination centre here in violation of COVID-19 protocols.

Madhuri Jaiswal is BJP president of Indore''s Ward number 58 and some of those in the gathering were not wearing masks.

She was apparently told to help in vaccination at three sites in Akash Vijayvargiya's assembly constituency.

After the video of the celebration went viral on Saturday, the District Immunisation Officer (DIO) Dr Praveen Jadia said he would inform the district collector Manish Singh about the matter.

"The matter has come to my cognisance. The woman is a BJP Ward president whose several young co-workers celebrated her birthday. The staff members of the health department were carrying out the vaccination drive," Dr Jadia told ANI.

The officer added that this type of celebration is objectionable at a vaccination site and they will take the matter to the district collector and demand an appropriate action against them.

"Women of the health department were not involved in the celebration but we will investigate," he said.

Jaiswal said her supporters organsied cake-cutting ceremony and she apologises for the mistake.

"We had a death in the family yesterday. Today is my birthday but we could not celebrate it due to that. When I reached government school, which is also a vaccination centre, some workers held a cake-cutting ceremony for me out of happiness. I did not have the information that they were without masks and flouted COVID norms. I apologise to my ward members," said Jaiswal.

Shubham Gaud, a BJP worker, said they wound up the celebration in 10 minutes.

( With inputs from ANI )