<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Allahabad High Court's order, imposing "complete lockdown" in five cities of the state due to grim Covid-19 situation.</p>.<p>A bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde ordered interim stay on the High Court's order, passed on Monday, April 19, as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, contended the blanket lockdown in five cities would create immense administrative difficulty.</p>.<p>Mehta also maintained that the state government was taking adequate steps to contain spread of Covid-19.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/allahabad-hc-orders-week-long-lockdown-in-five-uttar-pradesh-cities-976194.html" target="_blank">Allahabad HC orders week-long lockdown in five Uttar Pradesh cities</a></strong></p>.<p>The court appointed senior advocate P S Narasimha as amicus curiae in the matter. It also directed the state government to delete High Court as respondent in its petition.</p>.<p>Earlier in the day, the court decided to take up the state government's plea urgently at the end of the board (hearing of all listed cases).</p>.<p>"We will hear this at the end of the board," the bench told Mehta who sought urgent hearing in the matter, saying the High Court did not have the expertise to issue such kind of directions.</p>.<p>The High Court on Monday directed closure of all markets, establishments, public movements till April 26, 2021 in the cities of Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar, and Gorakhpur.</p>.<p>It said the order was passed, so that "the current chain of spread of Covid infection can be broken and this will also give some respite to<br />the frontline medical and health workers who would pay more attention to those patients who are already admitted".</p>.<p>The division bench, however, said, "In this order if we have not imposed a lockdown it does not mean that we do not believe in it. We are still of the view that if we want to break the chain a lockdown for a duration of at least two weeks is a must."</p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Allahabad High Court's order, imposing "complete lockdown" in five cities of the state due to grim Covid-19 situation.</p>.<p>A bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde ordered interim stay on the High Court's order, passed on Monday, April 19, as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, contended the blanket lockdown in five cities would create immense administrative difficulty.</p>.<p>Mehta also maintained that the state government was taking adequate steps to contain spread of Covid-19.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/allahabad-hc-orders-week-long-lockdown-in-five-uttar-pradesh-cities-976194.html" target="_blank">Allahabad HC orders week-long lockdown in five Uttar Pradesh cities</a></strong></p>.<p>The court appointed senior advocate P S Narasimha as amicus curiae in the matter. It also directed the state government to delete High Court as respondent in its petition.</p>.<p>Earlier in the day, the court decided to take up the state government's plea urgently at the end of the board (hearing of all listed cases).</p>.<p>"We will hear this at the end of the board," the bench told Mehta who sought urgent hearing in the matter, saying the High Court did not have the expertise to issue such kind of directions.</p>.<p>The High Court on Monday directed closure of all markets, establishments, public movements till April 26, 2021 in the cities of Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar, and Gorakhpur.</p>.<p>It said the order was passed, so that "the current chain of spread of Covid infection can be broken and this will also give some respite to<br />the frontline medical and health workers who would pay more attention to those patients who are already admitted".</p>.<p>The division bench, however, said, "In this order if we have not imposed a lockdown it does not mean that we do not believe in it. We are still of the view that if we want to break the chain a lockdown for a duration of at least two weeks is a must."</p>
