COVID-19: Mumbai's anti-mask stir to reach Delhi in a week

Anti-mask protest at Worli Sports Club at Adarsh Nagar. Pic/ Bipin Kokate

Mumbai's anti-mask movement led by group Awaken India found greater support on Tuesday as social worker Rebel Shraddha Nand Pati joined the group to address a gathering at the Worli Sports Club.

Over the past week, Awaken India, whose core mission is to make people "aware of the wrongdoings of Corona", which it believes to be "not deadly" and a "fake consequence of the common flu," had held discussions with Pati's Rebel Foundation about the "mission to protect people against bad governance." This prompted Pati to come down to Mumbai to "create awareness about the programme" designed by the Awaken India team. At the gathering, the Rebel Foundation also announced that it was going to launch a national protest from Delhi, along with Awaken India, within the next seven days.

Also Read: COVID-19: Mumbai's anti-mask brigade wants no more lockdowns

Speaking to mid-day, Rebel Pati said, "The mask has been implemented as a propaganda. It seems that it is not for protection, but to create fear in the hearts of people, as the death rate is too small for a deadly disease. Even the recovery rate is far greater than that."

He said that Tuesday's gathering was about making people aware that the Rebel Foundation would be standing tall with Awaken India, and that its volunteers would conduct awareness programmes for the masses from "Kashmir to Kanyakumari."

He added, "It [today's gathering] is about the fake death reports of Corona. It's about wrong data which shows that every person who died in hospital was because of Corona. Also, there are millions of people who are totally healthy without using masks and sanitisers. The lockdown has devastated the life of every Indian citizen, especially the middle class and the poor. In short, most Indians have lost a lot - their jobs and savings; they've been beaten up by the police for simple mistakes and scared of Corona.

Also Read: COVID-19: Mumbai's very own anti-maskers are here

He also said, "The government must give an economic package specifically in the form of money to those who lost their jobs and businesses."

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