Govt frowns on Congress plan to hold padayatra amidst rising Covid cases

Bengaluru; The State Congress' decision to hold a padayatra on January 9 demanding that the government take up the Mekedatu project on Cauvery at a time when the government is struggling to control the spread of Omicron variant of Covid-19 has come in for flak from Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar.

Sudhakar said at a press conference here on Teusday: "I am very apprehensive if the Congress is still planning to go ahead with its padayatra. The State is passing through a difficult phase and is in the process of partially closing down a few activities that attract mass gatherings. At this juncture a massive rally by the Congress may jeopardise our plans to control Covid."

But the Congress which had a meeting on Tuesday in the city to work out the plan is firm on going ahead with its rally at any cost. "Let not Dr Sudhakar hold us responsible for the increase in Covid cases in the city. We know our responsibility and I would like to assure the government that things will not go bad due to the rally we are organising," D.K. Shivakumar, KPCC president,

told The Hans India.

It was a high political drama unfolding in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who returned to the city from Kalburgi rushed to the meeting convened by the Health Minister to work out the plans for control of Omicron.

Meanwhile, Congress MP from Kalburgi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has stated: "This is no time to politicise the Mekedatu issue. We are confronted with a grave mass health situation. So, we must all work together for a solution in the interest of the people."

However, in another development senior leader Vatal Nagaraj has extended support to the Congress rally and said, "We have been fighting for this project for 20 years and must not let our guard down now."