DK: Covid curbs can’t stop Mekedatu padayatra

Are the Covid numbers really rising? KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar does not think so and suspects that the BJP government in the state is deliberately projecting an increase in the number of Covid cases to obstruct the proposed padayatra to be taken out by the Congress for implementation of the Mekedatu project.

During the recent Council elections, there was no spike in Corona cases; one can only wonder why the cases are rising now. ‘’No matter what restrictions they bring in, we will launch the padayatra with all precautions. And even if they book cases against us under the Disaster Management Act, we are ready to go to jail for the sake of this project as it is the matter of water for our land,” he said.

Speaking to reporters at a press meet, on Monday, Shivakumar said, “We have ordered one lakh masks and sanitizers for the padayatra. There will be 10 medical teams including 100 doctors in attendance. We are taking all measures to ensure adequate hygiene even in choultries and schools where we will be accommodating 5000 people each day from January 9 to 19,” Shivakumar said. On the criticism of the padayatra, he said, “Some people are doing it out of jealousy. There is no medicine for it This Padayatra is another movement for the water of the land.”

Former CM Siddaramaiah said, “even if they impose a lockdown, we will take out the padayatra with all precautions. It was PM Narendra Modi and Home MinisterAmit Shah who violated Covid guidelines during their UP campaign.”

When asked if he would take the project to its logical end, Siddaramaiah said, “I had sought an adjournment motion in the session but the issue did not come up for discussion. I asked them (the government) to extend the session for a week to discuss these issues, but they did not oblige. We will not stop until the Mekadatu project is implemented,” he said.