COVID-19 Outbreak: Maharashtra BJP MLA Defies Lockdown, Invites People To Celebrate His Birthday

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Wardha district in Maharashtra on Sunday distributed ration to people at his residence to celebrate his birthday defying the ongoing lockdown regulations.

Over 100 people gathered outside MLA Dadarao Keche's residence to receive free grains, ignoring all social distancing rules and regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Confirming the incident, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Harish Dharmik said the MLA, Dadarao Keche, will be booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Keche had not asked for permission to organise the event. As soon as the police got to know about the incident they reached the location and dispersed the crowd. Keche has denied his involvement and said it was a "political conspiracy" against him by his rivals.

"I had invited only 21 labourers, who have lost their livelihood due to coronavirus, and distributed food grains to them," Keche told The Indian Express. "After that, I left to visit my guru Bhikaram Baba at Ashta around 11 am. But my political adversaries took advantage of the situation. When I got the information I rushed back and dispersed the crowd with the help of the police."

However, The Wardha police invalidated Keche's claim that he was not at his residence when the incident took place.

Over 850 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Maharashtra so far, the highest in the country, and 45 people have died. Across India, 4,375 cases have been reported, and over 110 people have died, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Also Read: COVID-19 Cases Doubling in 4.1 days, Would've Been 7.4 Without Tablighi Jamaat Gathering: Union Health Ministry