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‘Shows his culture’: Karnataka CM Bommai targets state Congress chief Shivakumar over padayatra despite Covid surge
Meanwhile, state home minister Araga Jnanendra said that an FIR has been registered against 30 people for what he said was violation of Covid-19 protocols.
Amid a war of words between Karnataka's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress over the latter going ahead with its ‘padyatra’ (foot march) despite a massive surge in the state's daily Covid-19 infections, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday that this shows what kind of ‘culture’ DK Shivakumar has.
Also Read | BJP shares video of Shivakumar 'coughing' during Mekedatu protest, calls Congress 'superspreader'
Shivakumar, who heads the Karnataka Congress, on Sunday launched the party's 10-day ‘padyatra’ demanding construction of the Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery river.
“This shows his culture. He is not bothered about the health of others as well,” Bommai said, according to news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, Araga Jnanendra, the state home minister, assured action against all those violating the law. “FIR has been registered against 30 people for violating Covid-19 protocols. Ramanagara district administration has taken action as per the law. We will not spare anybody who violates the law,” he said.
Shivakumar, though remained undeterred, as he described his protest as ‘unstoppable till our goal is reached.’ The Karnataka Congress president tweeted, “Day 1 of #Mekedatu Padyatra brought immense support from the people, and recharged with this outpouring of love, we are ready with Day 2. #NammaNeeruNammaHakku (our water, our right).”
The Mekedatu is an emotive issue in both Karnataka and the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, as it is an extension of the centuries-old Cauvery water dispute between the two southern states. The Congress' march demanding Mekedatu project comes a year before Karnataka goes to polls, likely to be held in May 2023.
Also, over the last few days, Karnataka has witnessed an exponential spike in its fresh Covid-19 infections, including those due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. This has prompted the state government to announced a host of restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
