I'm a Minister; no quarantine for me: D V Sadananda Gowda

Bengaluru: Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda was at the Centre of a controversy on Monday after he did not undergo quarantine on arrival from Delhi by a flight here as stipulated, but defended it, saying he came under the exempted category being in-charge of pharmaceuticals, an essential sector.

The Karnataka government came to his defence and said the Centre had issued orders exempting such people handling essential sectors from quarantine norms. The Minister, also Bengaluru North MP, drove off in an official car without undergoing institutional quarantine as mandated by the Karnataka government for air travellers coming from high COVID-19 prevalence states after arriving here by a commercial airline flight, services of which resumed after two months.

It triggered a controversy with several people taking to social media accusing him of violating norms while others saying rules are only meant for citizens and not for VVIPS, including ministers.

The standard operating procedure (SoP) issued by the government mandates passengers coming from high COVID-19 prevalence states- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh- to go for paid institutional quarantine for a period of seven days.