Early morning on Monday people starts gathering up outside liquor shops in Delhi. As the Lockdown 3.0 give some relaxation to the liquor shops, the people queues were seen as early as 7:30 am in some parts of the national capital. More than 150 liquor shops were reopened. A large number of people’s queues were seen similar in other states like Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, a nationwide lockdown was announced by the government, as lockdown is the only way to fight against this virus. As a result, the liquor shops across the country were shut down with the lockdown that was announced on March 24. Gathering of people was seen outside the liquor shops from early morning even before the shops could open for sales.
Lathi charge has been resort by the police in Kashmere Gate. People were seen standing very close to each other in long queues and refused to follow social distancing norms outside a liquor shop.
Some strict guidelines of social distancing has been ordered by the MHA with relaxation. On Monday morning photos and video outside the liquor shops from states like Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and other parts show little of these norms are being followed by the people.
In Jheel Chowk area, Delhi the police were forced to shut down one such liquor shop due to overcrowding. People standing in queues in large number near that liquor shop and they refused to abide by the norms of social distancing.
The Long queues outside liquor shops, social distancing goes for a toss as government relaxes lockdown:
AAP MLA Somnath Bharti shared a video on Twitter and said the crowds at a Malviya Nagar liquor shop has accelerated panic among the locals.
ANI reported that the queue outside a liquor shop in Delhi’s Desh Bandhu Gupta Road was over 1 kilometre lengthy.
According to a PTI report, in Karnataka, people crowded the liquor shops while some even offered special prayers with flowers, coconuts, incense sticks in front of the stores
People outside the shops in Karnataka were seen in a celebratory mood since early morning.
Delhi government had said that around 150 shops in the national capital are being opened up from Monday for the third phase of the lockdown. Delhi is in the Red Zone with over 4,549 coronavirus cases.
~ Neha Dhingra
