Amidst the increasing demand for withdrawing weekend curfew in the State, including from BJP MPs and MLAs, Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar on Thursday said the weekend curfew was imposed based on the opinions of experts in the interest of public health safety as a precautionary measure following rise in COVID-19 cases. The weekend curfew was not the decision taken alone by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, he said.
Speaking to reporters, he said the government has taken various measures amidst the spike in cases for the safety of people. The Chief Minister is expected to take a call on whether to continue with the weekend curfew amidst the demand for its withdrawal.
On the statements from Mysuru MP Pratap Simha and senior BJP leader C.T. Ravi for discontinuing weekend curfew citing the difficulties caused to the public, Mr. Somashekar said the leaders have expressed their views. The DCs of respective districts have been given powers to take decisions based on the prevailing situation, he said.
Exhorting Health Minister K. Sudhakar’s reported comments on the views over curbs expressed publicly by the party leaders, the Minister said such statements cause misperception in the minds of the public about the steps taken by the government. “If everybody starts giving media statements, it will result in confusion. Mr. Sudhakar had only meant that it was advisable if those who are familiar with handling the pandemic with medical knowledge speak about the situation.”
