Araga appeals to Congress to give up padayatra

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Terming the Mekedatu padayatra as ‘politically motivated’, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said Congress leaders should give up their ‘audacious attitude’ towards the Corona pandemic and co-operate with the government.

“I may be older than KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar but I am junior to him in politics. I can only appeal to him to cooperate with the government to check the spread of the virus by postponing the padayatra till the situation improves”, Araga told the media here on Saturday.

He said the Supreme Court was yet to give its verdict on the Mekedatu project. As the English saying goes, ‘Prevention is better than cure’ and the Congress party should set aside its ego and help the government in containing the pandemic. The police will take action against those who defy curfew orders and they would be booked under the NDMC Act, he warned.

Replying to a question, the home minister said instructions have been given to cops to behave courteously with the general public during the night curfew and week-end curfew. At the same time, citizens too must cooperate with the department, he added.