Kerala CM flays Karnataka's fresh travel curbs on passengers from the state

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan flayed the interstate travel restrictions imposed by Karnataka, saying were against the Centre's directives.

"As per the Home Ministry's directives, no restrictions should be imposed on inter-state travel and border roads should not be blocked. The restrictions imposed by Karnataka government on the border since August 2 are against this order. Kerala state police chief Anil Kant held discussions with his Karnataka counterpart in this regard and the latter assured to take necessary steps," Vijayan said in the Kerala Assembly on Thursday.

He was replying to a submission of Manjeshwar MLA A K M Ashraf of the Indian Union Muslim League on the restrictions imposed by Karnataka authorities at the Kerala - Karnataka border in Kasargod.

Vijayan said that Karnataka mandated a negative RT-PCR certificate no older than 72 hours prior to entering Karnataka from Kerala. Facilities have been made at the border to conduct RT-PCR test. Priority was being given to those who have to routinely travel to Mangaluru for various needs. The police also initiated steps to ensure that those who need to travel for medical purpose and other essential needs did not face much difficulty, said the Chief Minister.

Also Read | Vaccinated? Travellers from Kerala, Maharashtra still need RT-PCR test report to enter Karnataka

The Chief Minister also said in his reply that those producing certificates of two doses of vaccinations would be also given permissions for purposes for which RT-CR negative certificate in required. But sources at Kasargod said that Karnataka authorities were insisting on a negative RT-PCR test result even from those who produce vaccination certificates for entering Karnataka.

Meanwhile, though the border area witnessed protest by political activists in Kerala over the last few days, on Thursday the political activists kept off from demonstrations. A local Congress leader, Harshad Vorkady, said that the Kerala police on Wednesday registered a case against those who staged protest against the restriction imposed by Karnataka and hence the political parties kept off from protests today.