Why create fear on new variant? DK smells a rat

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar has accused the state government of unnecessarily creating fear among citizens about the new Covid variant, Omicron.

He told the media on Wednesday that almost all hotels, the IT sector and other institutions in Bengaluru have been functioning in air-conditioned facilities. Are they not supposed to do business? Should all of them be shut? The government owes an explanation on where the number of cases have increased, he said.

Citing Omicron, the government was trying to destroy the state economy. There cannot be statewide guidelines and these norms have to be uniform for the entire nation. Those who have suffered must be compensated but so far, the government has not given the compensation of Rs 4 lakh to families of Covid-19 victims.

The prices of agricultural crops have not been fixed. The hospitality industry is in shambles. More than 90 percent of hotels require AC and around 20 percent of schools function in an air-conditioned atmosphere. Let the government not create confusion unnecessarily, Mr Shivakumar said.

“As KPCC President, we have sought votes for the Council polls from the CPM, JD(S) and Raitha Sangha. Since voters have the freedom to vote, they can exercise their franchise for the party of their choice. Winds of change are sweeping across the state and the Congress has a bright chance of winning the maximum number of seats”, he said.

Asked about the JD(S) declining to support the BJP, the Congress leader said former CM H.D.Kumaraswamy had taken a decision in this regard. The JD(S) candidates are fighting against the BJP in Dharwad, Bidar, Kalaburagi and other districts and so any decision taken against the interests of party workers will create dissidence, he added.