'Govt should drop its probe on Ch'nagar deaths'

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president R Dhruvanarayana opined that the state government should scrap the committees that is constituted to probe the alleged deaths due to unavailability of oxygen at the district Covid hospital in Chamarajanagar, on May 2, as the High Court has initiated the probe.

Speaking to reporters here, on Tuesday, Dhruvanarayana said, "If the government was efficient, the court would not have intervened. As there was no trust on the executive, the judiciary has intervened."

"The judiciary intervened even in the supply of oxygen. The 25 BJP MPs from Karnataka have no voice in the Centre. Let them join hands and get required oxygen to the state. But, they do not want to raise their voice to either get GST share or Covid vaccines," he said.

"Even after such a big tragedy, that claimed 24 lives, drawing the attention of the whole country, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa did not visit Chamarajanagar, or announce any compensation to the families of the victims," he said.

"Minister K S Eshwarappa has issued a statement that they do not have note printing machine. But, he should introspect at whose house money counting machine was found. Minister Umesh Katti too asks the poor to 'die'. BJP leaders do not have concern for the poor," Dhruvanarayana said.

"Chamarajanagar District In-charge Minister S Suresh Kumar has turned active now. If he had displayed this pre-emptive approach earlier, several lives could have been saved. At least now, home isolation system should be dropped and the Covid positive patients should be treated at Covid Care Centres," he said.