Are you living on Mars: HC asks petitioner on plea seeking postponement of polls in 5 states due to Covid-19

New Delhi, Jan 31: The Delhi Court expressed its displeasure over a plea seeking postponement of assembly elections in five states due to the third wave of Covid-19.

It refused to entertain the petition by a Congress leader and termed the plea as frivolous. Also, it asked the petitioner whether he was living on Mars as the Covid-19 cases are coming down.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said, "It is a frivolous petition. Are you living on Mars. Delhi is now dealing with a declining number of cases. You withdraw it or we will dismiss it with cost."

Congress leader Jagdish Sharma, who filed the petition, had urged the court to direct Election Commission to postpone the elections in five states citing that Omicron cases were on the rise. Also, he sought directions to the central and state governments to submit a plan for the distribution of essential supplies and services during the third wave of the pandemic and to direct the governments to submit the plan for availability and distribution of oxygen, PTI reported.

The petitioner stated the devastation caused during the second wave last year when a large number of people lost their lives due to the shortage of beds and oxygen. He also pointed out inadequacies in the arrangements to prevent the spread of the virus and for treating the Covid patients.

"The court should also order a writ in the nature of mandamus, thereby directing the Delhi government to issue a direction for 14 days or less quarantine for people returning", from these states where the election process has commenced, the plea said.

The assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur are starting from February 10 and will end on March 7. The results will be announced on March 10. PTI