Kerala MP Rajmohan Unnithan on Monday urged the Supreme Court to direct Karnataka to forthwith open its borders with Kerala for the safe passage of ambulances and other emergency vehicles and trucks carrying essential and non-essential supplies in order to avert a humanitarian crisis during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The parliamentarian, represented by advocates Haris Neeraj and Pallavi Pratap, sought the court to issue an ex-parte stay on the operation of the blockade imposed by Karnataka with its border States.
Mr. Unnithan, who represents Kasaragod, said Karnataka's blockade was “ill-planned and dangerous” and had led to loss of lives. Two patients from Kerala, in need of urgent medical care, died after their ambulances were denied entry at the border by the Karnataka authorities. One of them was a 70-year-old woman.
‘Register FIR’
Mr. Unnithan said the court should direct Karnataka to register an FIR and set up a special investigation team against the Karnataka officials responsible for stopping the patients who died because they could not access medical care.
“Imposition of such a blockade at a time when supply of commodities is itself hit hard and when a medical emergency has plagued the entire country is a clear violation of Articles 21 and 19(d) of the Constitution. This blockade has also resulted in cutting off the essential lifeline of national highways and State highways and major district roads leading to Kerala, which has resulted in the shortage of medical, essential and non-essential supplies”, the petition said.
Kasaragod is the northernmost district of Kerala, and closest to Karnataka. People of Kasaragod go to Mangaluru district for medical care by crossing the border, in particular the Kasaragod-Mangaluru border at Talappadi.
The petition highlighted that any failure to grant ex-parte/ interim stay would cause “irreparable injury and also violate the fundamental rights of the petitioner as well as the crores of citizens of this country especially those residing in Kerala”.
