Congress demands action against Union Minister for violating COVID-19 restrictions

Taking exceptions to BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra being held in Kalaburagi late on August 17, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and former minister Sharan Prakash Patil demanded that the district administration book the organisers as well as Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy Bhagawanth Khuba for violating COVID-19 norms.

“The administration has imposed weekend and night curfew to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the district. Mass meetings and rallies are not permitted between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Yet, BJP organised the Jan Ashirwad Yatra mobilising a huge crowd. Union Minister Bhagawanth Khuba participated in the rally and addressed the gathering. This is a clear violation of the restrictions in force, and no action is being taken against the organisers and participants. The district administration should immediately book a case against Mr. Khuba and other organisers of the rally,” Mr. Patil said in a media conference at the Congress office in Kalaburagi on August 18.

Recalling the withdrawal of permission for a Congress meeting in Sedam in view of the fresh COVID-19 restrictions, Mr. Patil questioned how officials could allow the BJP to organise such a huge rally in the district headquarters.

“I had obtained permission for a public meeting in Sedam. But, officials withdrew it citing the fresh COVID-19 restrictions. I honoured the law of the land and cancelled the programme. But, BJP leaders, who have no respect for the law, went ahead with the rally without any permission. Officials allowed them to violate night curfew just because their party is in power. The administration should work independently, as per the law, instead of acting as a puppet at the hands of the ruling party. Laws are for everybody. There are no separate laws for ruling party leaders,” Mr. Patil said.

Mr. Patil said that BJP parliamentarians and Union Ministers were holding the rallies to introduce themselves to the people as they had absconded from their constituencies after the elections.

“What ashirwad [blessings] these BJP leaders are seeking from people? People had blessed them twice – in 2014 and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. BJP leaders should have held rallies and public meetings to show what they had done for the people in the last seven years. Since they had no notable achievement to show, they are playing this drama of Jan Ashirwad Yatra,” Mr. Patil said.