Get the Mayor tested without any delay: Corporators
Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar : A group of Corporators Tuesday demanded FIR against the Covid-19 infected Corporator for concealing the travel history of his brother. They say infected Corporator was in close contact with Srinagar Municipal Corporation Mayor and he must be tested for this lethal infection.
As reported earlier, the brother of Kawdara Corporator, Majid Shulu was tested positive after arriving Srinagar from New Delhi. Shorty after, the Corporator himself was quarantined and his samples were taken and today he was found positive.
Mayor SMC, Junaid Azam Matuu who has gone for home quarantine had also directed all his staff and Corporators to go for home quarantine.
Corporator from Nawab Bazar, Inayat Ahmed told KNT that Majid Shulu who was tested positive was mostly in touch with Mayor Junaid Azim Matuu. He demanded that Matuu should be tested for this lethal infection without any delay. “It is a big chain. Even after spending time with his infected brother, the Corporator visited Srinagar Municipal Corporation and participated in sanitation drives. Where ever Mayor went, he followed him. Not only Mayor, but all the contacts of him should also be tested,” he said.
Another Corporator, Muhammad Hanief said that they are being forced to go for quarantine when they have never touched or talked to the infected Corporator. “Mayor and his staff have gone for quarantine and now he wants all Corporators to stay at home. He just wants to save his chair because, he knows it well, he will lose support of many Corporators if he doesn’t attend office,” he said.
Both Hanief and Inayat said that it is all politics and nothing else. “Need of the hour is to get the Mayor tested because he was always in contact with the infected Corporator,” they said and demanded that an FIR should be registered against the Corporator in question and Mayor as well for lying and twisting facts.
Efforts to contact Mayor didn’t materialize as he didn’t pick up the repeated calls. But Deputy Mayor Parvez Qadri talked to KNT in detail. Qadri admitted that the Corporator was living with his infected brother and he many times visited the office of the Mayor.
“The brother of the Corporator arrived in Srinagar in a truck on April 26. All his contacts including truck driver were traced and quarantined,” he said adding that when Majid Shulu participated in sanitation drives, his brother had not arrived home then.
Qadri said that he has quarantined himself at his home. “I wish those who have come into the contact of this Corporator will voluntarily come forward and quarantine themselves,” he said.
When asked how the brother of the Corporator arrived home when inter-district movement is banned. Qadri feigned ignorance.
However, Batamaloo Corporator, Inayat Ahmed informed KNT that it was Mayor himself who facilitated the return of the brother of Corporator from New Delhi to Srinagar. “The infected Corporator has close relations with the Mayor so the Mayor helped him in getting his brother back to Srinagar. What I was told that the brother of the Corporator masqueraded as truck conductor to enter into Valley. The truck in which he travelled carried live stock,” he said.
Insiders said that the situation is very grim not only inside SMC but in the offices of District Development Commissioner and Divisional Commissioner as well. “Mayor frequently used to visit DC and Div Com’s office. What if he tests positive, let us assume for a moment and think about the repercussions,” a top official said.
Most of the Corporators who are in quarantine and were in contact with infected Corporator visited almost every nook and cranny of Srinagar city. “They distributed ration kits and PPE kits and nutrition kits among public and thus came into contact with a large number of people. Let us hope for the best,” the official added. (KNT)
