Delhi, Coronavirus: An argument over the issue soon turned into violence (Representational)
Highlights
- The police and the volunteers had gone to distribute food and supplies
- Some residents demanded that the barricades should be removed
- Delhi has reported 59,746 coronavirus cases and 2,175 deaths
A group of residents of a coronavirus containment zone in Delhi attacked policemen and civil volunteers on Sunday following an argument over barricades.
According to reports, the incident took place in a containment zone in the national capital's Naraina area. Some people suffered minor injuries.
The police and the volunteers had gone to distribute food and supplies. Some residents demanded that the barricades - placed by the authorities to check the movement in and out of the zone to avoid the coronavirus spread - should be removed.
An argument over the issue soon turned into violence.
The WZ block of the area had reported 10 coronavirus cases after which it was declared a containment zone.
The central government earlier this month announced several lockdown relaxations across the country, including the opening of malls, restaurants and places of worship with some precautionary rules. The lockdown in containment zones - areas demarcated as high risk - was not eased. People living in these areas are not allowed outside their houses except for essential services or emergencies.
This is not the first time that essential service workers have faced hostilities from the masses they have been serving amid the pandemic. There have been reports of assault and attacks on doctors, police and health staff when they had gone to test coronavirus suspects or put COVID patients in institutional quarantine.
In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described doctors and other health staff at the frontlines of the fight against coronavirus as "incarnations of God" and said those harassing them would face police action.
Delhi, which has reported 59,746 coronavirus cases and 2,175 deaths, is among the worst hit parts of the country.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had a meeting Sunday with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on the coronavirus situation, where it was decided to hold more "robust" contact tracing, revamp the entire containment zone strategy and strengthen medical services in areas most affected by the virus.