‘Congress didn’t remember Mekedatu all this time’

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Health and Medical Education Minister Dr.K. Sudhakar said the Congress party will be responsible for any spike in Covid-19 cases following their proposed 10-day Padayatra between Mekedatu and Bengaluru, which is due to begin on Jan 9.

Addressing reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Dr Sudhakar called the idea “inappropriate at this juncture, when there has been a marked rise in Covid-19 and Omicron cases in the state.” The Congress party has also been holding agitations for irrigation and drinking water requirements in Bengaluru. “The Congress did not remember Mekedatu when it was in power for five years from 2013-18. It has chosen to remember it only now,” he said.

Congress leaders have alleged that the state government was trying to scuttle the Mekedatu Padayatra by saying it will cause a rise in Covid-19 cases. A fuming Dr Sudhkar said that cases are “on the rise in Mumbai and New Delhi - is the BJP responsible for those too? It’s not right to blame the party for everything,” he added.

Dr Sudhakar said the chances of a lockdown are “remote” but that the government definitely intends to impose tough rules. Imposing a lockdown, he said, will disrupt people’s lives just as they are slowly limping back to normal.

“It is a big challenge for the government to check the spread of Coronavirus without putting pressure on the people. Since we have experience with handling the pandemic effectively, we will do so again and check the spread”, he added.

Dr. Sudhakar advised the media not to use words like ‘lockdown’ or even ‘semi-lockdown’ to check the growth of Covid-19 and said that even senior ministers do not have any information about it. He said, however, that he has discussed the matter with the Chief Minister.