Facing HC rap, negative publicity, Congress suspends Mekedatu march

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Thursday suspended its padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru in the light of sharp observations made by the High Court and ban imposed by the State government which also received rap for allowing the agitation by the main opposition seeking early implementation of the drinking water project on Cauvery at a time when Covid cases are raging across the State. KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh made the announcement 100 km short of culmination. The party will resume the padayatra after the pandemic is brought under control.

The decision was taken on the fifth day of the padayatra after several rounds of consultations among senior Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and senior leader B.K. Hariprasad, at Ramanagaram.

Siddaramaiah vehemently denied that the Congress was responsible for surge in Covid cases and asserted that the situation in the State was a reflection of the third wave sweeping across the world. He vowed to resume the padayatra from the same place.

Earlier, All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader Rahul Gandhi reportedly spoke to Shivakumar and is believed to have advised taking a decision considering the public health. The high command, sources said, advised the local leaders to stop the padayatra that threatened to give negative publicity to the party in the midst of a spike in Covid cases, and ahead of elections to five crucial States. Some local leaders suggested a truncated padayatra with only a few leaders walking to Bengaluru to prevent crowding and adherence to Covid-19 norms. Earlier on Wednesday the High Court of Karnataka had asked the KPCC to submit a copy of permission for its padayatra from the State government and it also pulled up the ruling BJP for its inaction on such a massive movement amidst the pandemic. This had rattled the Congress and prompted it to suspend the march. The advocates engaged by the Congress sent a message to the party's legal cell in Delhi stating that there would be embarrassment in store if the padayatra was not stopped immediately. For instance, violation of prohibitory orders under section 144 of the IPC at Ramanagara would have spelled trouble for the party. Adding insult to injury, senior Congress leaders including M Veerappa Moily, Mallikarjuna Kharge have been infected by Covid and left for their respective places. Even a few officials from the district office of Ramanagara including the Additional Deputy Commissioner have fallen prey to the virus.

It became obvious that Congress strongman Shivakumar and his MP brother Suresh would have been answerable to the high command for any dent in the image of the party ahead of elections to Uttar Pradesh, one of the five poll-bound States where Priyanka Gandhi is campaigning and planning to make a big win.

A senior Congress leader close to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi when asked to explain the situation in Karnataka, said that … "is nauntaki se party ka badnaami zyada aur munafa kum.." .

At the same time the KPCC decision also saved the BJP government from major embarrassment of using force on the padayatra.

The AICC members who participated in the padayatra told The Hans India that the DK brothers had not discussed the nitty gritty of the padayatra and its impact on the pan India image of the party especially in the Covid situation.