The Karnataka government has imposed curfew on the weekend and restricted public gatherings (File)
Bangalore (Karnataka):
As the Congress began its 11-day padyatra on Sunday demanding the earliest implementation of the Mekedatu drinking water project, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar found himself in trouble as the COVID-19 war against him began. Three FIRs have been registered for flouting norms.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Shivakumar and 63 other Congressmen were booked in Ramanagara for violating the COVID-19 norms during the party’s Mekedatu padayatra.
Informed the local police that on January 11, a second case has been registered against Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar for violating the COVID-19 norms during his ‘Mekedatu padayatra’.
A police officer said, “Around 41 people, including Shivakumar and MP DK Suresh, have been named in an FIR registered for violating COVID-19 norms at Sathanur police station in Ramanagara district on Monday. Has gone.”
Earlier on Sunday, the first FIR was registered against 30 people for allegedly violating COVID-19 norms in ‘padyatra’.
The Congress in Karnataka on Sunday began its 11-day padyatra demanding the implementation of the Mekedatu project on the Cauvery river, despite the government’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai slammed Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who allegedly refused to take a COVID test after a padyatra.
In response, Shivakumar accused the government of trying to “infect” him with COVID-19 by exposing him to an official who had tested positive for the coronavirus.
“The additional district commissioner who came to test me last night has tested COVID-19 positive. He was sent to ensure that I get infected and test positive. The government calls me the primary contact of a COVID positive person. and that is why the officer was sent,” alleged Shivakumar on Monday.
He further said, “It may not be the Chief Minister’s view. But the Health Minister (K. Sudhakar) is capable of doing so.”
Further alleging mishandling of COVID-19 testing data, the Congress leader demanded a judicial inquiry into the COVID-19 numbers. “I have about dozen doctors in my family, many kids in my family are studying medicine. I know how they are testing people. Who are coming to airports from abroad. It’s all BJP positive, BJP Kovid, BJP Omron. I demand a judicial inquiry on these COVID-19 numbers,” he said.
The Karnataka government has imposed a weekend curfew and restricted public gatherings till January 19 to fight the third wave of COVID-19. It has also imposed a night curfew and banned all rallies, dharnas, protests.
The Mekedatu Equilibrium Reservoir-cum Drinking Water Project, to be built in the Cauvery river basin, has been at the center of a dispute between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Earlier, on 12 July 2021, Bommai had said that the Center would have to approve the project as per law and there was no reason why the state government would stop the project.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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