A viral video that surfaced on Thursday showed hundreds of people gathering to actively take part in a religious procession at Lukwasa in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district amid speculation of a looming third wave.
Most of the participants who appeared in the video were seen without wearing a mask, which inevitably is a blatant violation of the COVID-19 protocol.
BJP MLA Virendra Raghuwanshi was among those who participated in the event which took place on Wednesday.
All kinds of gatherings are currently banned in the state due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When contacted, Kolaras sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Ganesh Jaiswal said on Thursday that he did not know about the procession and no permission had been taken from the administration or the police for any such event.
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In the video that went viral on social media, Raghuwanshi is seen wearing a mask but most others are neither wearing masks nor following social distancing. Some are also seen dancing to drum-beats and music.
The MLA also posted a photo of himself on Facebook, stating “Got an opportunity to take part with family in `pran-pratistha' (consecration of idol) at the Maiharwali Mata Ma Sharda Devi's new temple."
(With PTI Inputs)
