The Congress party on Monday clarified that it would take out the proposed padayatra seeking implementation of the Mekedatu drinking project from January 9 at any cost.
The 10-day padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru proposes to cover a distance of around 179 kilometre, besides 15 Assembly constituencies.
“The BJP government is trying to prevent the padayatra by imposing a lockdown, but we won’t call it off at any cost. We are ready to be imprisoned, but won’t stop the padayatra,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar and the leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said in a joint press conference here.
Shivakumar claimed, “I have been charged with violations of Covid-19 guidelines. Summons are served on me. Violating restrictions, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai attended a wedding ceremony. What action has been initiated against him?”
The party had procured one lakh masks and readied a team of 10 doctors. About 100 doctors would be part of the rally, he said and reiterated, “The party is taking out the padayatra for the benefit of farmers in the region.”
PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah held events, violating restrictions. Did participants there wear masks? Siddaramaiah asked. He alleged that the government was delaying the implementation of the project only to strengthen the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
“JD (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy is depressed and hence commenting against Congress,” he charged.
Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar demanded the Congress party to drop the padayatra considering increasing Covid-19 cases.
“Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are jobless now. They are trying to take out the padayatra keeping an eye on next Assembly polls,” he told reporters.
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