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Siddaramaiah slams Centre over surge in Covid cases

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah must take responsibility for Covid-19 deaths after holding several election rallies in West Bengal, former Karnataka chief minister and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah said on Sunday

Published on: May 3, 2021, 01:38:57 IST
By , Bengaluru
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah must take responsibility for Covid-19 deaths after holding several election rallies in West Bengal, former Karnataka chief minister and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah said on Sunday.

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HT Image

In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said: “@narendramodi & @AmitShah should take responsibility for the loss in West Bengal and also for the death of many innocent people due to #Covid19.”

“@BJP4India ignored all expert warnings related to #Covid19 & went ahead by pressurising ECI to conduct elections in West Bengal. It is their selfish motive that led to the rise in #Covid19 cases,” he added.

All political parties have come under harsh criticism for organising various poll rallies amid the Covid-19 surge. Daily coronavirus infections have zoomed 75 times in Bengal ever since the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced assembly elections on February 26, Hindustan Times had reported earlier.

Siddaramaiah’s remarks also came on a day when the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress registered a landslide victory to retain power in Bengal.

In Tamil Nadu too, the saffron party which was in alliance with the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, was defeated by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Meanwhile, the saffron party won two out of three bypoll seats in Karnataka. Polling for these seats was held on April 17.

The B S Yediyurappa-led BJP won a hard fought battle in Belagavi where its earlier margins of around 400,000 in the 2019 polls was reduced to just over 5,000 against the Congress.

In Basavakalyan, the party secured a comfortable victory after Sharanu Salagar defeated Mala B Narayanrao of the Congress.

However, the party lost the Maski seat after Partapgouda Patil was defeated by Congress’ Basanagouda Turvihal.

Patil was one of the 17 legislators who defected from the Congress and helped Yediyurappa ride to power in 2019.

“I thank the people of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand for blessing the BJP in various by-polls. Our party will keep working for people’s welfare. Gratitude to the BJP Karyakartas for their untiring determination,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

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