Pune: After Fadnavis’ tweet, PMC revokes permission to PFI to bury COVID patient bodies
Pune, June 3, 2020: After former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, objected the Popular Front of India (PFI) being given shared responsibility to cremate Muslim patients who died from Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Pune and Mumbai, the municipal body in Pune has cancelled the permission with immediate effect.
BJP leader Fadnavis tweeted his objection on assigning cremation responsibility to PFI by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). He tweeted that PFI is ‘anti-national’ organisation and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a case against it and seized their bank accounts. How can the government permit this organisation, Fadnavis questioned via a video message posted on Twitter.
After that, Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol wrote a letter to the PMC commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad and demanded that the civic body should cancel permission given to PFI. Till date, the PFI has cremated 107 bodies. Gaikwad said, “We have cancelled permission given to PFI. We had assigned work to two social organisation who came voluntarily to help us cremate dead bodies of patients who died of COVID-19. After cancellation of PFI’s permit, now only one organisation will work with us.”
PFI condemns BJP and Fadnavis: The Popular Front of India’s president of Maharashtra State, Syed Yusuf Sadath, has condemned Fadnavis’ tweet and Facebook post that is tarnishing PFI’s humanitarian work for Coronavirus affected people in Maharashtra. The PFI issued a press released which stated that Fadnavis and his party are trying to create a malicious controversy around a circular issued by BMC entrusting PFI volunteers to bury COVID-19 victims.
“It is a shame that even at the time of one of the worst crises in Maharashtra, which demands unity, cooperation and coordination among people regardless of their religious or political background, Mr Fadnavis and his party is choosing their sectarian politics over people’s wellbeing,” the release said.
“Instead of serving people in the capacity of the opposition party in the State, through such attacks against aid workers, BJP showing a cruel apathy to people’s suffering,” mentioned in the press release.
