Over 30,000 people leave Bengaluru ahead of lockdown; rush at grocery stores and liquor shops
Bengaluru: Ahead of the week-long lockdown in Bengaluru starting from Tuesday night, over 30,000 people have left the city and grocery stores and liquor shops are witnessing a rush with customers thronging to stock up on for the shutdown.
According to transport department officials, laborers from other parts of the state migrated in good numbers from Bengaluru ahead of the lockdown fearing that they would have to face similar challenges as they had to confront during the previous shuttering.
"Yesterday 35,000 passengers left Bengaluru. The number is big given the fact that we are allowing a limited number of passengers in the buses to maintain social distancing," a KSRTC official told PTI.
Tipplers made a beeline for liquor shops and a senior State Excise official said liquor worth Rs 230 crore was sold on Monday alone.
"There was apparently a mad rush yesterday. India Made Foreign Liquor worth Rs 215.55 crore and 14.83 crores worth beer was sold...," the officer said.
In view of the rising coronavirus cases in the city at an alarming proportion, the government decided to impose lockdown from Tuesday 8 pm till 5 am on July 22.
Later, Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada districts too decided to impose a lockdown for nine days and seven days respectively from Wednesday.
"For the past two days, there is an unusual rush of customers in our store," an executive of the Metro Cash and Carry told PTI.
According to him, people are buying grocery items and vegetables with long shelf life such as onion, potato, radish, carrot, and beetroot.
A salesperson at the Star Bazaar too said people were thronging the store for the past two to three days.
During the Sunday curfew, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the week-long lockdown will be stringent one and the government has made all arrangements to address all concerns ahead of the shutdown.
As many as 19,702 people in Bengaluru have tested positive, of which there are 15,052 active cases, while 4,328 have been discharged. The number of fatalities as of Monday is 321.
Across Karnataka, 41,581 people have tested positive for coronavirus including 24,572 active cases, 16,248 discharges, and 757 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in the state.
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Regret participating in 'movement' that vilified ex-PM Manmohan Singh: Prashant Bhushan
New Delhi: Senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan has expressed regret over his past role in political movements that, he said, contributed to the vilification of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Bhushan made the remarks in a post on social media on the first death anniversary of Manmohan Singh.
In his post, Bhushan described Manmohan Singh as “a humble, decent, well educated and well meaning man,” adding that the former prime minister’s humility and decency were “seen as a weakness.” He said he regretted having participated in a movement that helped discredit Singh and, in his words, “helped a rogue regime come to power.”
Bhushan’s statement is widely seen as a reference to the anti-corruption movement that gained momentum during the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister. The movement, led by civil society activists, had targeted corruption allegations against the government and eventually reshaped India’s political landscape. Critics have since argued that the campaign contributed to undermining Singh’s leadership and paved the way for a change in government at the Centre.
Manmohan Singh, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, was known for his low-profile style, technocratic approach and role in shaping India’s economic reforms.
He was a humble, decent, well educated & well meaning man. His humility & decency was seen as a weakness.
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 26, 2025
I regret having participated in a movement that vilified him & helped a rogue regime come to power pic.twitter.com/6JWOrdCZdE
