BENGALURU: The Karnataka government, considering the alarming spike in Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru will hold a meeting and discuss the possible measures on whether to completely ban the Congress led Mekedatu Padayatra to enter Bengaluru city or to restrict the numbers to walk inside the city limits.
Congress leader H M Revanna participating in the Padayatra has tested positive to the coronavirus.
On Tuesday, amid half the Karnataka cabinet, including chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, being in isolation due to Covid-19 or being a primary contact of a positive patient, home minister Arga Jananendra said the state government gave the Congress an opportunity to be a responsible opposition and drop the Padayatra.
“We gave them three days' time in the hope that the Congress will consider the peril in which they are putting people but it appears to be in vain. In lieu of protecting the lives of Benglureans, we (government) are going to sit and decide on what will be the next step before the Padayatra reaches the city,” said Jnanendra.
He defended the government's decision to allow the Congress party to take out their Padayatra by stating that they wanted to extend “courtesy” to the opposition leaders in this regard.
“It is purely politics and trying to boost the party image ahead of the 2023 polls. But this padayatra, will be more detrimental to the Congress than useful,” said Jnanendra.
However, opposition leader Siddaramaiah in Kanakapura said the party was committed to completing its Padayatra and reaching Basavanagudi on January 19.
“The BJP inflating the Covid cases and foisting cases against us for defying the Covid norms. They even tried to manufacture a positive report of KPCC president DK Shivakumar, who is strong and fit as a rock, to scuttle our Padayatra. We are committed to completing our walk for water and reaching Bengaluru,” he said.
However, Bengaluru in-charge and senior Congressman R Ramalinga Reddy was much more cautious of the situation and said the party was ready for a “recourse” if the government does not allow the main public event to happen in the city.
“We intend to host the public event by maintaining all Covid norms and practicing social distancing. However, if the government does not allow us to host the event then there is nothing we can do. It will expose the BJP’s intentions of not supporting the Mekedatu project,” said the BTM Layout MLA.
Reddy said the BJP still has the chance, if they do not want the Padayatra to enter the City limits, to ensure that the project will be finalised and commissioned as the party is in power both here and in the centre.
Earlier, MLC H M Revanna was the first Congress leader in the Padayatra who got Covid positive. He was admitted to a private hospital.
According to Congress sources, Revanna had the symptoms of Covid-19 with fever, cough and the chills even before he came to the inaugural event but ignored it.
It is expected that more numbers will tumble out after Revanna testing positive.
.jpg?w=600)
