Karnataka CM reiterates no lockdown; Opposition flays govt for poor COVID-19 handling
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday reiterated that there will be no lockdown in the state, but stringent measures implemented to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Yediyurappa said, "Barring lockdown, all other measures will be taken. Already we have imposed night curfew in some cities. If required we will extend it to some other districts as well."
The CM said he would consult the Opposition party leaders on the next course of action and deliberate on their suggestions.
He also ruled out lockdown on the weekends.
The Chief Minister has convened a meeting with the opposition leaders on April 18, a day after the bypolls to Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency and Maski and Basavakalyan assembly segments.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties said lockdown was not a solution to rising COVID-19 infections as it would only make lives more difficult.
"Lockdown is not a solution.. First it has to be identified how this disease spreads and accordingly, treatment should be provided.
The government relaxed the norms when the number of coronavirus cases dropped, due to which they have gone up now," Congress leader Siddaramaiah said.
He charged the state government with minimising the tests when cases reduced substantially, allowing everyone to come in without checking them and letting people congregate at public events.
If the government is willing to impose lockdown, it should deposit Rs 10,000 into the account of one crore families belonging to the economically weaker section, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly told media.
He also claimed that he has not received any invitation from the government on the all-party meeting yet.
JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy said the government should focus on the availability of essential drugs such as Remdesivir and beds in hospitals as it is being projected that by the month end, cases may shoot up to 20,000 a day.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Attempt to shield 'infiltrators': BJP ahead of Cong's rally against 'vote theft'
New Delhi (PTI): Ahead of the Congress' rally over the "vote theft" issue, the BJP on Sunday alleged that the main opposition party was holding the event in its bid to "protect infiltrators" from being removed from the electoral rolls.
The ruling BJP asserted that the Congress will not succeed in its design of misleading people as well as "insulting and defaming" constitutional institutions, because the entire world knows that India's democracy is "very robust".
Stepping up its campaign against the alleged "vote theft" by the BJP in elections, the Congress has organised a rally at the Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday that will be attended by the party's top leaders, including general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, and Sachin Pilot.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi are expected to address the gathering. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is also likely to be present at the event.
Ahead of the event, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress was holding the rally even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah "exposed" the opposition through his point-by-point rebuttal to their "fabricated" allegations during a debate on electoral reforms during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
"This shows that you do not have truth in your hand, yet you are trying to create an atmosphere of confusion. The Congress' rally is an exercise to protect 'ghuspaithiyas (infiltrators)'. This is what the Congress is doing," the BJP MP told reporters here.
"The Congress party may try all it wants to mislead the people as well as insult and defame our constitutional institutions. But, the entire world knows that India's democracy is very robust and it cannot be shaken," he added.
The BJP leader accused the Congress of holding the rally to pursue its "appeasement politics" and dared Rahul Gandhi to challenge the Bihar assembly polls if he felt that there was any irregularity.
"Rahul ji, you still have perhaps 10 days left in your hands. You can still file a complaint if you feel that there was any irregularity (in the poll process) in any of the seats in the Bihar assembly polls," Patra said.
