BJP deputy Sakshi Maharaj was forcibly quarantined here on Saturday for 14 days for violating COVID regulations, a senior district official said.
The Uttar Pradesh MP had come to Giridih, more than 200 km from Ranchi, to participate in a program from Unnao via Dhanbad.
Maharaj, who was returning to Dhanbad by road to catch a train to Delhi, was intercepted by the district administration near the Pirtand police station and quarantined at Shanti Bhawan’s ashram, where he had gone to participate in a program, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Sinha said.
The action was taken pursuant to a state government order of 14 days of quarantine for people coming from out of state, the DC said.
“He had not informed the state government about his visit and therefore we quarantined him for 14 days,” Sinha said.
The DC, however. He said that if you wanted you can apply for the exemption.
Upon obtaining information about the visit and return of the politician from Uttar Pradesh without prior information, the administration sealed the borders of the district and put up barricades.
A team led by Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM) Prerna Dixit who was following him detained the MP at a barricade below the Pirtand police station and quarantined him for 14 days in Shanti Bhawan, the DC said.
Maharaj told reporters that he had gone to see his sick mother in Giridih after giving prior information.
However, he said that if he had been told about the mandatory 14-day quarantine condition to visit Jharkhand, he would not have come.
The BJP deputy spoke to the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary from the place where he was intercepted in the presence of the media and the DC also put the chief secretary on the phone.
But he did not help him and the police took him to Shanti Bhawan for putting him in home quarantine.
He objected to being “forcibly” quarantined by the administration, saying “I am a member of Parliament and Jharkhand is part of India. Can’t I meet my sick mother?” I have to participate in a meeting of the standing committee of the Parliament on Sunday and I have been forcibly quarantined here … it’s really disgusting, “he said.
He said the son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Tej Pratap Yadav, visited Ranchi on Wednesday to meet his father at RIMS and returned to Patna by road, but the administration did not take any similar action.
“This seems to be inspired by political jealousy,” he alleged.
Jharkhand has a coalition government of JMM, Congress and the RJD headed by Hemant Soren.
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