BJP's Sakshi Maharaj Forcibly Quarantined In Jharkhand For Violating Rule

BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj was forcibly sent to home quarantine in Jharkhand on Saturday for 14 days for violating COVID-19 norms, a senior district official said on Satuday.

The MP from Uttar Pradesh had come to Giridih, over 200 km from Ranchi, to take part in a programme from Unnao via Dhanbad.

Maharaj, who was returning to Dhanbad by road to take a train to Delhi, was intercepted by the district administration near Pirtand police station and sent to quarantine at Shanti Bhawan ashram, where he had gone to take part in a programme, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Sinha said.

The action was taken according to a state government order of 14 days quarantine for people coming from outside to the state, the officer said.

"He had not informed the state government about his visit and therefore we have put him in quarantine for 14 days," Mr Sinha said.

The Deputy Commissioner, however, said if he wanted, he could have applied for an exemption.

On getting information about the visit and return of the Uttar Pradesh politician without advance information, the administration sealed borders of the district and put barricades.

A team headed by Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Prerna Dixit which was following him, stopped the MP at a barricade under Pirtand police station and sent him on 14 days quarantine at Shanti Bhawan, the Deputy Commissioner said.

Maharaj told reporters that he had come to see his ailing mother in Giridih after giving prior information.

He said had had he been told about the mandatory 14-day quarantine condition for visiting Jharkhand, he would not have come.

The BJP MP talked to Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary from the place he was intercepted in the presence of the media and also put the Jharkhand official over phone with the chief secretary.

But it did not help him and he was taken by the police to Shanti Bhawan for home quarantine.

He took exception to the administration "forcibly" putting him in quarantine, saying, "I am Member of Parliament and Jharkhand is part of India. Can't I meet my ailing mother?"

"I have to take part in a meeting of the standing committee of Parliament on Sunday and I have been forcibly quarantined here...it's really disgusting," he said.

He said, RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son Tej Pratap Yadav had on Wednesday visited Ranchi to meet his father in RIMS and returned to Patna by road, but the administration did not take any similar action.

"This appears to be inspired by political jealously," he alleged.

Jharkhand has a coalition government of JMM, Congress and the RJD headed by Hemant Soren.