Congress should defer Mekedatu Padayatra to contain COVID-19: HM Araga Jnanendra
Bengaluru, Jan 12: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday accused the Congress in the state of precipitating the COVID crisis with their 'Walk for Water', demanding a balancing reservoir across Cauvery river at Mekedatu in Ramanagara district.
"Not heeding calls to postpone the Padayatra programme, ostensibly undertaken to draw political mileage, the Congress leaders are precipitating the COVID crisis in the state," Jnanendra said in a statement.
He criticised the adamant attitude of the Congress leaders for continuing their march and said the initial apprehension of the government about the Padayatra "is unfortunately coming true".
"Because of this specific reasons, we had appealed to the Congress leaders to defer this event but it seems that Congress leaders are only concerned about taking political advantage and not about the public health," he said.
According to Jnanendra, already several Congress leaders who had taken part in the 10-day event had tested positive for Covid-19 and got admitted to the hospital.
Renewing his appeal to the Congress leaders to end their programme, Jnanendra said, "I hope the Congress leaders who were also in power in the past would act sensibly and responsibly and call off their programme." The Congress commenced its march from Mekedatu from January 9 demanding the balancing reservoir for complete utilisation of the Karnataka's share of Cauvery water to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and adjoining districts.
The Tamil Nadu government has opposed the project saying that it will hamper their interest.
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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.
