Modi focussed on Assembly elections, forgot Covid-19 pandemic: H D Deve Gowda

JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "neglected" the Covid-19 situation to focus on the recent Legislative Assembly elections in five states "in eagerness to see his party succeed."

Speaking to reporters, Gowda said the number of cases had gone up in Modi's constituency too. "He spoke emotionally about it," Gowda, a former prime minister, said on Modi's recent interaction with officials in Varanasi. "Instead of focussing so much on the elections, if the Centre had focussed on the pandemic, may be we would not have been in this situation."

Gowda also alleged that the Centre was partial against Karnataka in providing vaccines, medicines and ventilators. Karnataka also got a raw deal when it came to financial assistance from the Centre, he said.

As for the state government, much work remained to be done in terms of ensuring health infrastructure. The government hospitals lack facilities, forcing people to go to private hospitals, Gowda said. "In Arsikere (Hassan), a patient had to pay Rs 4 lakh for Covid treatment. Everyone else in his family including his mother, wife and father were affected. I called up health officials and asked them to take action," he added.

On the party's work in the state, JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy would lead the effort. The party would hold consultations on the BBMP elections, Gowda added.