HC: Where's the nod for Padayatra?

Pressure for ban goes up after court asks govt why yatra was allowed when Covid cases are spiralling?

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: With the BJP government dillydallying on the issue of stopping the Mekedatu padayatra, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the the state Congress to inform by January 14, whether it has taken due permission to hold the 10-day padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project in Ramanagar district.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Suraj Govindaraj while hearing a petition filed by A.V. Nagendra Prasad, directed the Congress to also inform if they were taking all appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the state government in view of the pandemic.

Further the court issued directions to the state government to inform by January 14 as to how and why rallies, particularly the one by the Congress, were being permitted to continue. The court also wondered why the state government had allowed the rally at a time where there is a spike in Corona cases. Has the government become incapable of taking action or is it waiting for the court to issue directions? The government must inform by Thursday whether SOPs have been implemented. ‘’Did you wait for the filing of the PIL to stop the padayatra??’’ the court asked.

The Additional Advocate General informed the court that three FIRs have been filed against Congress leaders for violation of Covid rules.

Close on the heels of the High Court’s remarks, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah summoned KPCC Legal Cell Chairman A.S. Ponnanna to have a discussion about the court’s observation. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah told a Kannada TV channel that they had written a letter to the state government last week regarding the padayatra but, there was no reply from the government. Siddaramaiah added, “We will stop the padayatra in case the High Court wants us to do it.”

Bengaluru-Mysuru highway closed:

The police have diverted the movement of vehicles on the Bengaluru-Mysuru National Highway in the wake of the padayatra by Congress party which will hit the highway on January 13 and 14. This has been done to avoid chaos on the highway with thousands of Congress workers walking on the road to reach the state capital.

Curbs imposed on padayatra vehicles:

Bengaluru: The state government issued an order on Wednesday banning the movement of vehicles to participate in the Mekedatu padayatra. An official release said all inter-district (within Karnataka) and intra-district (within Ramanagara), movement of vehicles and people participating in ‘Nama Neeru Namma Hakku’ padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru is prohibited with immediate effect.