COVID-19: MP cop writes 'I violated lockdown orders' on migrant's forehead

As the country enters fifth day of the 21-day countrywide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (March 24), videos of hundreds of migrants hitting the roads to their reach their native places have surfaced on social media.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic which has claimed 25 lives in India and reported about 979 confirmed cases, the video of a police officer from Madhya Pradesh writing “Maine lockdown ka ullanghan kiya hai, mujhse door rahna (I have violated lockdown restrictions, keep away from me),” on the forehead of a migrant labourer swept the netizens.

Even as the officer was served with a show-cause notice, many people, including the Opposition Congress criticised the police.

Related news: Amid lockdown, police beat the ‘corona’ out of violators

The incident took place when three labourers were on the move from Uttar Pradesh to their natives and were asked by the cops to visit the primary health centre for a medical check-up.

According to a report in the NDTV, while the labourers were waiting for a doctor, they were scolded by a senior inspector for violating the regulations of the lockdown and wrote the derogatory message on one of the labourer’s forehead.

While the prime minister strictly asked the police not to indulge in such activities after several such incidents were reported in the past five days, Chhatarpur SP Kumar Saurabh also said that the cops have been instructed not to engage in such behaviour.

Related news: 32-year-old Bengal man out to get milk dies after police beat him up

The incident falls under the jurisdiction of Gaurihar Police Station in Chhatarpur district, he said, adding that the PSI is being issued a show-cause notice.

Criticising the police for their action, the Opposition Congress shared the video clip on their official Twitter account and said, “(Chief Minister) Shivrajji has given only two options: either die from coronavirus or of hunger.”

संवेदनहीन शिवराज सरकार:

छतरपुर अपने घर वापस लौट रहे मजदूर के माथे पर मध्यप्रदेश पुलिस ने लिख दिया लॉकडाउन का उलंघन किया, मुझसे दूर रहना।

शिवराज ने जनता को दो ही विकल्प दिये हैं, या तो कोरोना से मरो या फिर भूख से।

शिवराज जी,
आपने मज़दूर के नहीं, भारत माता के माथे पर लिखा है। pic.twitter.com/msg7zSOPPO

— MP Congress (@INCMP) March 29, 2020

The video took social media by storm with tweeples even comparing the incident with a scene from the famous Amitabh Bachchan movie Deewar where he was forced to inscribe the words “Mera baap chor tha (my father was a thief)” on his arm.