RPP on state govt’s vaccination mandate
Dimapur, January 16 (MExN): The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Sunday fired salvo at the state’s latest vaccine related directive that made it mandatory for students of class IX and above to be vaccinated in order to attend offline classes.
The order which was issued on January 8 last, is “discriminatory and highly outrageous,” the RPP said in a press release on Sunday, asserting that it would not allow the civil liberties of the people to be curtailed.
The party also referred to two other “illegal notifications” issued by administrative officers—the Kiphire Deputy Commissioner on December 3, 2021 which made it mandatory for anyone entering the district to be vaccinated, and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Meluri on November 29, 2021, making it illegal for unvaccinated people to enter the ADC office and the SBI office, Meluri and questioned if the state government was aware of the numerous court rulings in India where vaccination is not mandatory.
“Does it (State government) also know that services cannot be denied to citizens based on vaccination status, including entry into airports, trains, malls, cinema halls, recreation areas, etc.?”it added.
It further questioned why the “UDA Coalition is so keen to show 100% vaccination status in the state,” when vaccination is not mandatory in the country.
Meanwhile, the RPP appealed to all the villagers to report to the party (risingpeoplesparty@gmail.com) if there were any cases of officers or village councils forcing anyone to take mandatory vaccination. The party will file FIRs on their behalf, it said.
It also asked the state government to first provide data on the number of Frontline workers who are already vaccinated, before trying to impose its mandatory vaccination policy upon the hapless general public.
“The RPP demands that this government withdraw/modify its flawed notifications without delay failing which serious apprehension of law and order situation in the state cannot be ruled out,” it said while posing a challenge to the NDPP, BJP and NPF coalition for an open debate on the issue.
