Congress leaders participated in a padyatra program from Mekedatu to Bengaluru to demand the implementation of the Mekedatu project.
Highlight
- Congress’ padyatra in Karnataka was criticized after five leaders tested positive for Covid
- Siddaramaiah said the padyatra will resume once the third wave subsides and restrictions are eased
- 4 FIRs registered against Congress leaders for taking out march defying COVID-19 restrictions
The Karnataka Congress has decided to temporarily stop his Mekedatu padayatra on Thursday, amid COVID-19 concerns and in the interest of public health, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Siddaramaiah.
Stating that the Congress party is not stopping its padyatra due to the fear of cases being registered against its leaders or because of the orders of the BJP government, he said, they will continue their march when the third wave of COVID subsides and restrictions are eased. will be relaxed.
“We are concerned about the health of the people in Karnataka, it is our responsibility to see that COVID does not spread due to our padyatra, despite taking all necessary measures we were worried, so we discussed today. We don Siddaramaiah said, I do not want people to feel that we are responsible for the worsening of the COVID situation.
Speaking to reporters here after a meeting with party leaders and MLAs, he said the padyatra was to reach Bengaluru by tomorrow evening, where the number of COVID cases are high.
Appealing to the party workers, he said, “… so we have decided to stop this padyatra here temporarily. Once the third wave subsides and the COVID-19 rules are relaxed If so, we will continue the remaining distance of padyatra from Ramnagar.” Did not lose heart and requested his cooperation.
The Congress decided to stop the padyatra following strong observations of the High Court and the government’s last night orders prohibiting the movement of inter-district and inter-district (within Ramnagar) vehicles and persons participating in it.
Besides this, several party leaders including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who attended the inauguration of the padyatra on January 9, have tested positive for COVID.
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday questioned the state government as to why it allowed the Congress’ padyatra, which is violating its COVID restrictions, and why no appropriate action was taken by the authorities to stop the march.
It has also asked the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) whether it had obtained permission for the padyatra and whether measures have been taken in compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The court has asked both the state government and the Congress to respond by Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had appealed to Siddaramaiah and KPCC President DK Shivakumar to withdraw their padyatra.
Congress’s 10-day long march to demand implementation of Mekedatu project, which is being opposed by neighboring Tamil Nadu, was on its fifth day today, covering a distance of about 15 km from Ramanagara to Bidadi, defying COVID restrictions Was.
The padyatra, which began on January 9, was to cover a total distance of approximately 139 km, and was scheduled to end at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on January 19.
The police have already registered four FIRs against Congress leaders, including Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, who took out a march defying the COVID-19 restrictions.
The Mekedatu Multi-Purpose (Drinking and Electricity) Project involves the construction of a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
The project, once completed, aims to ensure drinking water for Bengaluru and neighboring areas (4.75 tmc) and can also generate 400 MW of electricity, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore.
Read more: COVID: Karnataka HC issues notice to Congress for holding ‘Mekedatu padayatra’
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