Hate campaign against vaccination drive
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 2: Principal Sessions Judge Kulgam Tahir Khurshid Raina today denied anticipatory bail to Ghulam Jeelani Rather, who halted the COVID-19 vaccination drive by launching hate campaign.
“As rightly opined by World Health Organization (WHO) it’s not vaccines that will stop the pandemic but vaccination”, court said, adding “it is very unfortunate that while on one hand, the Government is making painstaking efforts to ensure the safety of the people against the deadly virus by launching vaccination drives, the rumour mongers like the petitioner are acting as stumbling block in this endeavour of the Government”.
“By spreading rumours and disinformation campaign against the vaccination, the petitioner and their ilk are creating lot of fear psychosis and confusion among the general public about the vaccination”, the court said, adding “such unsubstantiated and profane act of the petitioner is not only grossly illegal but amounts to pushing the life of the people in peril, who, if not get promptly vaccinated, may fall prey to the deadly virus”.
“Let’s not forget the melancholic situation our country faced very recently on account of second wave of the pandemic, which consumed lakhs of precious human lives. And as per the experts, there is every likelihood of third wave which can be more fatal as compared to second wave”, the Judge said, adding “to avoid its fatal impact the only remedy available and suggested by the experts is to get more and more people vaccinated”.
“At the same time, it has been witnessed in print and social media that at various places the health workers have to face stiff resistance from the people during vaccination drive and even have been subjected to assault at same places. This is all because of myths, rumors and canard being spread by the people like the petitioner and on account of it the people, especially living in the rural areas are getting sceptical and cynical about vaccination”, the court said.
While dismissing the bail application, the court further observed, “rumours are carried by haters, spread by fools and accepted by idiots’. Let a message travels in the length and breadth of our society at large that no such unbecoming and illegal attempt of rumour mongers will be tolerated who are creating a hurdle in the way of vaccination drive”.
“They will be dealt strenuously under law. More so, such haters do not deserve concession of anticipatory bail, rather their free movement and free speech is a threat to the society at large which requires to be circumscribed in accordance with the law for the general good of the society”, the court concluded.
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