Lockdown yielding results, should be extended if need be: Sadanada Gowda
Bengaluru: Union Minister Sadananda Gowda on Saturday said lockdown has to be extended if need be, as it has been yielding results, with major cities including Bengaluru witnessing a decline in daily COVID-19 cases.
The state is currently under complete lockdown till May 24.
"Lockdowns have been successful and have yielded results, cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Karnataka's Bengaluru are examples. There has been a decline (in Bengaluru) since the last couple of days," Gowda said.
Speaking to reporters here, the union minister who represents Bengaluru North parliamentary seat said, there is a need to break the chain.
".. it (lockdown) has been going on successfully, after May 24 if there is a need for it to be extended, it has to be done.
We have to save lives, leading life may become difficult, governments will have to take steps to improve it," he added.
Gowda's statement came a day after Revenue Minister R Ashoka batted for the extension of the statewide lockdown, aimed at controlling the spread of the pandemic.
Amid the rising Covid-19 cases in the state, the Karnataka government that had initially announced 14 days "close down" from April 27, subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, amid continued spike in cases.
Noting that the state and central governments were ready to take all the criticism regarding COVID management, Gowda said, those in the government will not get disturbed by it.
"We have a responsibility and the commitment and we will have to fulfill it," he added.
Conceding that the government's action plan on vaccination got disturbed as people of all the age groups started coming in large number to take it, with the intensity of the second wave increasing, the Union Minister said necessary steps and policies will be implemented soon so that everyone gets the vaccine.
Karnataka on Friday reported 41,779 new cases of COVID- 19, and 373 fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 21,30,267 and the death toll to 21,085.
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Odisha: Expelled Congress leader Mohammed Moquim announces new party, to be launched on Apr 8
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Former MLA Mohammed Moquim announced that his new party will be named 'Odisha Janata Congress', and it will be formally launched on April 8.
He was expelled from the Congress in December last year after questioning party president Mallikarjun Kharge's leadership because of his age.
Moquium, who represented the Cuttack-Barabati assembly segment, said he decided to launch the new party after receiving a "positive response" from people to fight corruption.
"Both the BJD and Congress have lost their relevance, which is evident from their newfound bonhomie during the Rajya Sabha polls. Though the BJD ruled the state for 24 years, it has done nothing substantial for youths," he claimed.
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Moquim said the new party's flag is almost ready, with three colours.
"We are working on the symbol, and I have applied for the party's registration with the Election Commission," he said.
"People from across the state would join the programme at the Exhibition Ground in Bhubaneswar, from where the new party would be launched. It will be a youth-centric party," he added.
After his expulsion from the Congress, Moquim held a youth convention in Bhubaneswar. It was attended by his daughter, Sofia Firdous, who is the incumbent Congress MLA from Cuttack-Barabati.
