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Coronavirus: Karnataka BJP MLA says those who attended Markaz event but refuse treatment are traitors

The number of positive cases in the state has risen by 12 to reach 175.

Updated on: Apr 8, 2020, 08:59:16 IST
Hindustan Times, Bangalore | By
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Political secretary to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and former minister, MP Renukacharya hit out at people who attended the Markaz event at Nizamuddin in New Delhi and didn’t report themselves to the hospital for Covid-19.

New Delhi, India - March 31, 2020: People who took part in a Tablighi Jamaat function earlier this month walk to board buses taking them to a quarantine facility amid concerns of Covid-19 infection. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)
New Delhi, India - March 31, 2020: People who took part in a Tablighi Jamaat function earlier this month walk to board buses taking them to a quarantine facility amid concerns of Covid-19 infection. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

In an outburst, Renukacharya called them “traitors”, reportedly saying there was “nothing wrong if they are shot.” The Honnali MLA was speaking to the media in Davanagere. “The state would not be facing the current crisis if they had reported themselves to hospitals earlier,” Renukacharya asserted.

This came on a day when the state government said that till date, 920 samples of those who attended the Markaz in Delhi have been collected and while 623 of them have turned out to be negative for Covid-19, 27 have tested positive. Remaining 270 sample results are awaited. The CM had earlier said that stern action would be taken against anybody who tried to identify a particular community with the spread of the virus.

On Tuesday, Karnataka government said 12 new Covid-19 positive cases have been recorded in the state, taking the total to a cumulative 175 which includes four deaths and 25 discharges after successful treatment. Among the 12 new cases, six are those who have had a travel history to the Delhi event. All of them have been quarantined at isolation facilities of designated hospitals in respective districts.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar opposed any move to cut the salaries of the government employees. The state government is said to be contemplating such a move especially when neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have already taken steps in this regard given the current financial crunch amid the coronavirus crisis.

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