Citing COVID-19, BJP MLAs request Karnataka govt to stop Congress' padayatra entry into city
Bengaluru, Jan 12: Ruling BJP legislators from Bengaluru on Wednesday urged the Karnataka government not to allow Congress' padyatra, demanding implementation of Mekedatu project across Cauvery river, from entering the city to avoid further spread of COVID-19 infections here.
BJP MLAs like Arvind Limbavali, Satish Reddy, Ravi Subramanya and Uday Garudachar in a joint press conference, even requested the Congress to call off the march citing the interest of the people of Bengaluru.
"At a time when corona is peaking, is there a need for it (padayatra)? So, we request them (Congress) to call off the padayatra. If not, we urge the government to take strict measures to stop them. If there is a need, arrest them," said Limbavali, an MLA from Mahadevapura constituency.
Satish Reddy, from Bommanahalli constituency, too called on Congress leaders to call off the padayatra that may spread the virus in the city, as he warned that BJP may have to start 'peaceful protests' against them, if they don't stop.
"I want to tell my Congress friends, Bengaluru has about 1.25 crore population. Once it spreads here, it will spread across Karnataka and may lead to loss of lives... As the cases are spiking, immediately call off the padayatra. If not, people and legislators of Bengaluru know how to stop it... people of Bengaluru will reject you," Reddy said, as he also urged the government to take steps to stop them.
Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, requested the opposition party to keep aside politics and stand with the people in their sufferings, so as to avoid another lockdown.
"Stop it for now... in the days to come we will all work together for the drinking water needs of Bengaluru," the legislator said, as he asked the government not to remain silent and take strict action in the interest of the people of the state.
Chickpet MLA Uday Garudachar said his constituency which comes in Bengaluru's central business district is a thickly populated area, and asked Congress not to bring padayatra there as it may lead to COVID-19 spread among a lot of daily-wage workers and traders.
"Please don't enter Bengaluru in the interest of its citizens of the city," he said.
Led by state Congress President D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, the padayatra on its fourth day on Wednesday covers a distance of about 15 km from Chikkenahalli to Ramanagara. They are likely to reach Bengaluru city on Friday night.
The 10-day padayatra with the theme 'Namma Neeru Namma Hakku' (Our water, Our right) that began at Sangama, the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers at Kanakapura in Ramanagara district on January 9, will be spanning a distance of nearly 139 kms.
The march from Mekedatu to Bengaluru, passing through Kanakapura, Ramanagara and Bidadi, is scheduled to culminate at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on January 19.
Reporting another spike, Karnataka on Tuesday had registered 14,473 fresh cases, out of which 10,800 were from Bengaluru Urban alone.
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Bypoll results will decide the future of Congress in Karnataka: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
