Karnataka Deputy CM Ashwath Narayan hints at phased unlock after June 7
Bengaluru, Jun 1: Amid speculation about extension of the lockdown, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan on Tuesday said it is a "guarantee" that the state will start the unlock process after June 7, as he hinted that it will be phased lifting of curbs.
The state is currently under lockdown till June 7, and there were speculations about it being extended.
"Let's see, whether unlocking should be done at once or in a phased manner is the question. Unlock is guarantee, after June 7...how to do it is the question, there are no plans of doing it at once, it may be in a phased manner," Narayan said in response to a question on the future of lockdown in the current situation.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the government is gathering opinion from experts and others and a decision will be taken after considering all aspects.
However, Health Minister K Sudhakar too, while hinting about phased unlocking, said that the state's COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee has suggested that the strict restrictions can be relaxed once daily cases come down below 5,000 mark.
"They (TAC) have said the (positivity) rate has to come below 5 per cent and number of cases (fresh) should be below 5,000, only then the restrictions can be relaxed and until then the strict measures that are in place should be continued," he said.
The Health Minister said that he has submitted the TAC's report to the Chief Minister and discussed it.
"The CM has said that whenever we go for unlocking, it should also be in a staggered manner."
"If unlocking is done it should be in a phased manner and it cannot be done at once, because the decline is not to the level of our expectations or to that of the TAC, though cases have come down, it is still not below 5 per cent. In several districts as the numbers are still a bit more, we will have to be cautious," he added.
The Karnataka government had initially announced 14 days "closedown" from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, as the COVID cases continued to spike.
Citing lockdown yielding results and experts advice, it was further extended till June 7.
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Apologise for seeking votes for Modi earlier: Uddhav Thackeray
Kolhapur (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the Narendra Modi government has betrayed Maharashtra, and he apologises to the people for seeking votes for the prime minister in earlier elections.
Thackeray and his Maha Vikas Aghadi ally and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar spoke at a rally at Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra in support of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Hatkanangale constituency, Satyajit Patil.
Talking about the circumstances in which his government fell in 2019, Thackeray said the Supreme Court had not delivered its verdict on whose Shiv Sena was the real one, but the "Election Commission and the arbitrator (Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar) who were working as their (BJP's) servants, gave their verdicts."
"Now when PM Modi calls us fake Shiv Sena, he is putting pressure on the court," Thackeray said. Sharad Pawar said that Modi, during visits to Maharashtra, only criticises him (Pawar) and Thackeray instead of speaking about his plans for the state. Pawar also accused the Centre of misusing central agencies and pointed to the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in alleged corruption cases.
Thackeray said when no one was willing to join hands with the BJP, the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with it. The saffron party, however, brought down the government of a man whose family had given it everything, he said, referring to the fall of his government in June 2022. "I apologise for seeking votes for Modi (in the past) because his government has betrayed Maharashtra," the Sena (UBT) chief added.
He also accused the BJP of using the Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha elections but scheming to defeat its candidates in assembly polls. "You used Shiv Sainiks (in Lok Sabha polls) but defeated our candidates (in assembly polls). I have come to avenge it," said Thackeray who parted ways with the BJP in 2019. Thackeray and Pawar also shared the stage at a rally in Kolhapur city for Congress candidate Shahu Chhatrapati.
Pawar said on the occasion that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about the country when he visited the states, while Indira Gandhi would talk about poverty alleviation. "But this PM can not rest till he targets Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. I want to tell Modi ji, however may you criticise us and bypass important issues facing the state and the country, the people of Maharashtra will teach you a lesson," he said. Hitting out at Modi for calling Pawar "wandering soul," Thackeray in his speech recalled that Atal Bihari Vajpayee had praised Pawar's disaster management skills.
