Mumbai: While responding to a query of the Bombay high court (HC) on the discriminatory policy of allowing only fully vaccinated persons to use public transport like trains, the state government has stated in its affidavit that such preventive measures were necessary to ward off the likelihood of the third wave of Covid.
The affidavit states that it has done reasonable classification and imposed reasonable restrictions as per the Articles of the Constitution of India for non-vaccinated persons so that they do not endanger their own lives and of their families as well as those who are vaccinated while commuting on public transport. In light of the above, the challenge of the petitioners to the notification which restricts public transport usage by non-vaccinated persons was not valid and hence the public interest litigations should be dismissed.
The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Makarand Karnik while hearing the PILs filed by activists Yohan Tengra and Firoze Mithiborewala was informed that the travel restrictions through public transport for non-vaccinated persons imposed by the state government was unconstitutional and violated the rights of the citizens.
