CM Bommai rules out relaxation in COVID restrictions at places with less positivity rate
Bengaluru, Jan 10: Citing spike in COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday ruled out easing restrictions at places with less positivity rate.
He instead stressed the need to take extra precautions.
"No...what I had said is that depending on the COVID spread we will take a decision. Now you are seeing, yesterday there were 12,000 cases in the state, nearly 9,000 were only in Bengaluru. Positivity rate in the state is at 6.8 per cent, in Bengaluru it is 10 per cent, in the whole country we are in third place," Bommai said in response to a question on plans to relax COVID restrictions in some districts by Sankranti.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "in such a situation there is need to take extra precautions."
After the cabinet meeting last week, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy had said that with plans to relax COVID restrictions at places with less positivity rate, the government is likely to review the containment measures announced by it by January 14 or 15.
At the cabinet meeting chaired by Bommai, some Ministers had expressed reservations about enforcing restrictions across the state, especially in places where the positivity rate is low.
The Karnataka government on January 4 had imposed curfew on weekends and restricted public gatherings to fight the third wave of COVID-19, till January 19. It has also decided to continue the night curfew for two more weeks, and has prohibited all rallies, dharnas, protests, among others.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
