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BJP shares video of Shivakumar 'coughing' during Mekedatu protest, calls Congress 'superspreader'
According to reports, after the inauguration of the Mekedatu padayatra, Siddaramaiah returned to Bengaluru after complaining of slight fever.
Karnataka BJP on Sunday slammed Congress over its Mekedatu padayatra and sharing a purported video of state Congress chief DK Shivakumar coughing, it called Congress a 'superspreader'. "Watch Congress president DK Shivakumar coughing in public during his fake protest for Mekedatu dam. It appears that he is having Covid-19 symptoms but is still interacting with Congress workers without a mask. Is he hell-bent on increasing Corona cases?" the official handle of Karnataka BJP tweeted.
As visuals of the padayatra with people teeming emerged, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said action will be taken according to the law against the Congress leaders for going ahead with their march, demanding the implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river.
The Congress today began its 10-days padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru, at a time when the Covid-19 infections are again on the rise. The situation in Karnataka is concerning with daily cases galloping. The government has imposed a weekend curfew and there are strict restrictions on any kind of gathering in the state. All these restrictions are in place till January 19.
Led by DK Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah, the padayatra with the theme 'Namma Neeru Namma Hakku' (Our water, Our right) began at the Sangama, the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers in Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was also present at the inaugural event.
According to reports, after the inauguration, Siddaramaiah returned to Bengaluru after complaining of slight fever.
"Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah returns from his party's fake Mekedatu protest citing fever. Is he faking his fever or is he really having symptoms of Covid-19? Isn't Congress putting the lives of Kannadigas at risk for its political survival?" the BJP took a dig.
Videos of former Chief Minister speaking to Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, former minister R V Deshpande and other Congress leaders about him having fever and wanting to take rest for some time, and later leaving in his official car, have surfaced, news agency PTI reported. “We should understand he is nearing 74-75 years of age, he has stents. We had asked him not to climb the upward route today,” Shivakumar told PTI. Though Congress sources have confirmed that Siddaramaiah has left for Bengaluru due to fever after lunch and is likely to return to padayatra once he is fine, there is no official word yet from his office about the nature of the fever, the news agency said.
