Plea in HC challenges Delhi govt order for all teachers, school staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19
Oct 22, 2021
New Delhi [India], October 22 : The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the state government to file a reply on a petition challenging a decision that makes it mandatory for all teachers and school staff to be vaccinated, and if not vaccinated by October 15, then not to be allowed to attend school. Consequently, their absence would be treated as leave, according to the state government.
Justice Rekha Palli asked the Delhi government, its education department, R A Geeta Co-Ed Sr Sec School in Shankar Nagar and the Ministry of Health to file a reply on the petition.
The Court was hearing a petition filed by Ravinder Pratap, a government teacher in R A Geeta Co-Ed Sr Sec School in Shankar Nagar through advocate Abhimanyu Yadav.
The petitioner has urged the Court to direct the respondent to not force the Petitioner for COVID-19 vaccination since allopathic treatment taken by him to cure a hand disorder led to impotency.
The petitioner has sought an appropriate writ, order or direction thereby quashing the Circular dated August 9, two Circular dated September 29 2021 published by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, Directorate of Delhi as being illegal, arbitrary and not in consonance with the spirit of the Constitution of India.
The circular issued by the Delhi government made it mandatory for all teachers and school staff to be vaccinated and in the event, if not vaccinated by September 15, 2021, to be not allowed to attend school and their absence would be treated as on leave.
The petitioner said that in 2015, he started encountering the problem of hand Dystonia. The Petitioner thereafter in 2018 was diagnosed with hand dystonia. That the petitioner took allopathic treatment for the same but there were no signs of improvement but the condition worsened by the use of medication to the extent that the Petitioner went into depression. The Petitioner had to consult psychiatrists for the same.
The Petitioner due to the allopathic way of treatment for hand dystonia starting showing symptoms for impotency. The Petitioner started to resort to alternative methods of treatment including meditational practises, ayurvedic medicines and has shown considerable improvement due to the alternative to the allopathic way of treatment, the petitioner said.
He also told the Court that he was infected with COVID-19 in April and recovered with a natural method of treatment. He claimed that he has not taken any allopathic medicine.
The petition has also urged the court to direct the respondent to pay compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the Petitioner on account of the mental harassment meted out on him.
