Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra’s reported violation of the lockdown rules to visit religious shrines at Nanjangud near here on Tuesday has sparked off a row with Congress leaders lodging a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru.
Mr. Vijayendra, who is also the State BJP vice-president, came under fire even on social media platforms for visiting the Srikanteshwara temple at Nanjangud and the Mahadeva Taata Gaddige at the nearby Hullahalli, besides offering bagina to the Kapila on Tuesday after driving down to Mysuru along with his wife, all in gross violation of the lockdown imposed by the State government to check the spread of COVID-19.
A delegation of Congress leaders met Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum seeking her direction to the police to register an FIR against Mr. Vijayendra for violating norms.
The Congress leaders said Mr. Vijayendra was also accompanied by several of his supporters and escorted by the police personnel when he visited the temple.
The delegation comprising Mysuru District Congress Committee president B.J. Vijaykumar and Mysuru City Congress Committee president R. Murthy also asked the Deputy Commissioner to suspend the officials and the priests who had co-operated with Mr. Vijayendra and register an FIR against them as well.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana sought to know if any special permission had been given to Mr. Vijayendra by the district administration to visit the temple. “If such a special permission had been given, the reason should be spelt out,” he said.
Though entry of visitors and devotees to temples has been barred across the State during lockdown, the government rules permit the priests to carry out routine rituals.
KPCC working president R. Dhruvanarayan too condemned the “violation of lockdown rules” by the Chief Minister’s son. “Everybody is equal in the eyes of law. There can’t be different set of rules for different people. When the government has closed temples, how can he violate the law and enter the temples just because he is the Chief Minister’s son?” Mr. Dhruvanarayan sought to know before asking for action to be taken in the regard.
