Postpone UP polls, ban rallies: Allahabad HC urges ECI, PM Modi over Omicron

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 23 (ANI): Amid the COVID variant Omicron scare, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday requested the Election Commission of India to immediately postpone the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh for 1-2 months.
The court also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the EC to immediately ban rallies and public meetings of political parties in the state.
"If rallies are not stopped, results will be worse than the second wave," Justice Shekhar Yadav said, adding that, "Jaan hai toh Jahaan hai (if there is life, we have the world)."
Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh are slated for early next year.
According to the Ministry, 236 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in the country so far.
Out of this, Maharashtra topped the list with 65 confirmed cases followed by Delhi with 64 cases and Telangana with 24 cases. Of the 213 cases, 104 patients have recovered from the virus.
Meanwhile, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday alerted States and Union Territories about the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, and said that based on current scientific evidence, Omicron is at least three times more transmissible than the Delta variant.
The ministry further added that greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action are required at the local and district level. (ANI)