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2 BJP MLAs question CM over weekend, night curfew rules
Basanagouda Patil (Yatnal), the firebrand legislator from Bijapura city, on Sunday urged Bommai not to impose any restrictions on the upcoming Ganesha Chaturthi festival.
At least two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators in Karnataka have slammed the Basvaraj Bommai-led government for its weekend and night curfew rules on Covid-19, adding to the growing voices against the chief minister.
Basanagouda Patil (Yatnal), the firebrand legislator from Bijapura city, on Sunday urged Bommai not to impose any restrictions on the upcoming Ganesha Chaturthi festival.
“I have told the Chief Minister that if he imposes restrictions (during Ganesha festival) then I am not going to heed to it. I am telling the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police present here that if you impose restrictions on Hindu festivals in Vijayapura then I will not remain silent. You can shoot me to silence me,” Yatnal said on Sunday.
He charged the government with allowing others to organise events comprising 10,000 people and said when it comes to Ganesha festival, the administration imposes several restrictions in the name of Covid-19 control.
Yatnal asked the district authorities to impose curbs on everyone if they really wish to check the spread of COVID-19 but not in a selective manner.
The MLA also claimed that the third wave of COVID-19 will not have any effect on the district bordering Maharashtra as the vaccination is highest there and cases have come down substantially. He even questioned the government if corona comes only on weekends and at night, questioning the decision to impose restrictions in districts bordering Maharashtra and Kerala.
Yatnal, who was left out of Bommai’s cabinet, has been an activly challenging the new government. He has also openly questioned the leadership and continues to criticise former chief minister BS Yediyurappa.
BJP MLC AH Vishwanth too has questioned the decision on guidelines enforced in Mysuru district, about 125 kms from Bengaluru.
The Bommai government has imposed weekend curfew in border districts and night curfew across the state as a measure to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the southern state.
The chief minister, however, continues to turn a blind eye on political events by the BJP and the opposition who have flouted norms in Bengaluru and other districts. A Narayana Swamy, the union minister of state for social justice and empowerment has been attracting hundreds and thousands of people to his Janaashirwad Yatra rallies.
These political rallies are going on unchecked by authorities who continue to remain vigilant on the public, warning them of punitive action for violating Covid-19 norms in the state.
The Congress party in Karnataka slammed the BJP government for its actions against all others but themselves.
“Vinay Kulkarni is a senior leader of the party, former minister and is a part of the Congress. It is good that a case of covid violations were slapped against Vinay Kulkarni. But in the same manner why are there no cases being registered against BJP national leaders for violating covid norms in Jana Ashirwad Yatra? Why are there no cases when BJP workers meetings? The government is using the law in whichever way it wants,” DK Shivakumar, the president of the Karnataka Congress said on Sunday.
Karnataka has 20,556 active Covid-19 cases after the state reported 1,189 new infections the last 24-hour, the health department said in its bulletin on Sunday.
