Bengaluru, July 13: As Bengaluru prepares for a seven-day lockdown from Tuesday following the spike in COVID- 19 cases, opposition parties in Karnataka have urged the government to enforce the measure in the entire state.
JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and Congress working president Eshwar Khandre have demanded that the entire state be placed under lockdown.
Welcoming the government's decision to implement the lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Gowda said, "I urge the government through the media to enforce lockdown in the entire state."
The former Prime Minister in a statement appealed to people of the state and the entire country to wear masks while venturing out, maintain social distancing, clean hands with sanitizer regularly, and to come out only if there is necessary work.
Stating that allegations of misappropriation have been made by several leaders against the government in implementing measures and packages to control spread of the virus and its impact, Gowda said, "whatever it is let's discuss about it in the next legislature session, at present health of the people is important and let's focus on it."
The government should work in this direction, we are all with the government, let's not play with the health of the people, he said, adding that "I appeal that at least from here on work actively."
With a spike in Covid-19 cases, the Karnataka government on Saturday announced complete lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Rural from July 14 to 22.
The lockdown is from 8 pm on July 14 to 5 am on July 22.
Congress leader Khandre, meanwhile reminded Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa that COVID cases and related fatalities were not only increasing in Bengaluru but also in the border districts of the state.
The situation was getting out of hand in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari districts, he alleged.
"So implement strict lockdown once again in the state at least for fifteen days."
"Bring the situation under control. I appeal to the government that in this lockdown period at least to correct its past shortcomings and take all measures to face the pandemic efficiently in the future," he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will be chairing video conference with Deputy Commissioners, Zilla Panchayat CEOs and Superintendents of Police of various districts regarding the COVID situation and the rains.
As of July 12 evening, cumulatively 38,843 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 684 deaths and 15,409 discharges.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 18,387 infections. Of the 2,627 fresh cases reported in the state on Sunday, a whopping 1,525 cases were from Bengaluru Urban alone.
Comments
An Indian Haj subsidy that did not exist!
Thank you Prime Minister Modi for ending Haj subsidy that never existed.
I completely welcome this move making the announcement, minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: “We believe in empowerment without appeasement.”Naqvi did not elaborate what he meant by “appeasement” but for decades, Haj subsidy remained a whip in the hands of right-wing parties to attack political rivals. Bharatiya Janata Party to embarrass rivals by accusing them of “appeasing” Muslims by subsiding expenses involved in the pilgrimage to Makkah and Madina. Angered by this attack, several Muslims have been demanding an end to the subsidy.
However, it is important to understand what this subsidy was and whether Muslims actually benefitted from it. In 2016-17, the government budgeted Rs 4.5 billion subsidy for around 100,000 Muslims who performed Haj last year. Each pilgrim paid around Rs 220,000 (amount varies each year) for airfare; stay in Makkah and Madina and for miscellaneous expenses. This money is paid to government-managed Haj committees which then transfers this money to other agencies. In other words, each Muslim pays for his/her own Haj expenses.
A significant chunk of money paid by Muslims goes to India’s government-owned national carrier Air India which enjoys a virtual monopoly on Haj circuit. The airline picks up passengers from around a dozen cities and flies them to Jeddah. The Air India inflates India-Jeddah tickets during the Haj season. This so-called government subsidy is used to pay for tickets that are always higher than the prevailing airfare charged by other airlines. A breakdown would show that an Air India ticket to Jeddah would cost more than a trip to Los Angeles from India. Essentially, the government takes money from one pocket and puts it back in another. Muslim have always demanded global tenders for Haj flights and for providing accommodation in Makkah and Madina..
However, while Naqvi sought to take a high moral ground by claiming that his party appeases no section of the society, his own government spends billions of rupees on organizing Hindu pilgrimages every year
Naqvi saab, this is what you learnt in Madrasa? U r Back-Stabbing Muslims. There is no 1% quality of muslim in you. After joining BJP you have lost it. First learn humanity. Almighty will give answers for all problems you have created for others.
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