BJP slams govt over withdrawal of circular about cremation of COVID-19 patients

The Maharashtra BJP on Wednesday criticised the state government over the withdrawal of a circular which mandated that the bodies of coronavirus patients would be cremated and not buried. On Monday, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi issued a circular saying that bodies of COVID-19 patients should be cremated irrespective of religion so as to avoid transmission of infection.

If relatives insisted on burial, it will be allowed only outside Mumbai, the circular said. Following protest by some Muslim and Christian community leaders, the circular was revised with a clarification that burials in Mumbai will be allowed provided the burial grounds are large enough.

Keshav Upadhye, BJP state spokesperson, on Wednesday said, "I wonder why some ministers in the state government were against the circular which had ordered cremation of all victims of COVID-19, as it is an advisory issued by the WHO. They should have kept their religious biases aside." PTI ND KRK KRK