Congress MLA requested to pay penalty to Himachal Pradesh CM for not wearing mask in assembly

A Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA on Saturday requested Assembly Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar to impose a fine of legisl 5,000 on Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur for not wearing a mask in the assembly.

On the last day of the budget session, Shillai MLA Harsh Vardhan Chauhan said that a strong message of wearing masks should go to the public from this House to check the spread of COVID-19. When Mr. Chauhan demanded, the speaker himself was without a mask. A member of the Treasury Bench said that the Congress MLA himself did not wear the mask properly. To this, Mr. Chauhan said that he wore a mask, but pulled up to his chin so that he could speak.

The whole affair ended in laughter.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said that recently a fine of Opp 5,000 was imposed against those who did not wear masks in Una district. The fine of Fine 5,000 cannot be justified, he said and demanded that the amount should be reduced and a decision on the matter should be taken at the state level.

Responding to Mr. Agnihotri, Chief Minister Thakur said that a fresh coronavirus wave is spreading in the country as well as in Himachal Pradesh, requiring strict adherence to guidelines including wearing of masks.

Admitting that the penalty is heavy, Mr. Thakur said that it ensures public adherence towards wearing masks.