Karnataka Congress leader moves SC against Kerala HC order for lifting road blockade

A Congress leader from Karnataka has on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the validity of Kerala High Court's order of April 1 for opening the National Highway, connecting to Kasargod.

Mithun M Rai, who fought Lok Sabha polls unsuccessfully from Dakshina Kannada constituency, filed a special leave petition in the top court through advocate Sanjay M Nuli.

His petition contended that a large inflow of people from Kasargod to Mangaluru has placed a huge burden upon the healthcare facilities in Mangaluru, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition is likely to be taken up by a bench of L Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta on Friday, along with a similar plea by the Karnataka government.

Defending the blockade set by the Karnataka government, Rai said the influx of patients from Kerala has caused a "undesirable aura of panic and threat among the medical fraternity which further hinders the ability of the healthcare professionals to make well-reasoned decisions".

His petition stated that in light of the war like situation within the country caused by the spread of COVID-19, the Karnataka government has merely exercised its powers under Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 to contain the infectious disease as well as to not overburden the healthcare professionals.

"Restrictions have been imposed solely with the view of safeguarding and protecting the lives of the persons living in the district of Mangaluru," it contended.

The petitioner claimed that the Kerala High Court's interim order did not consider the fact that there was no prescribed treatment for cases of COVID-19 as of today and the only universally accepted solution has been to quarantined in self-isolation.

This may be done at the homes of the patients itself instead of placing further burden upon the healthcare professionals who work day in and out to provide the same to the various affected patients, his plea contended.