Congress temporarily suspends Mekedatu Padayatra
"It is only a temporary call off of Padayatra. We will never forget the overwhelming response of the people during Padayatra. We will be committed to the cause to provide pure drinking water to the people.", D.K. Shivakumar
Bengaluru: Following the wrath of the Karnataka High Court and government order prohibiting Padayatra, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has decided to suspend Mekedatu Padayatra temporarily. Padayatra has reached Ramanagara and completed five days, crossing 60 km from Sangama.
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar held a joint press conference after meeting with party leaders at the Ramanagara KPCC office. Announced to suspend Padayatra due to a surge in Covid cases in the state.
Excerpts of Siddaramaiah speech
Government is responsible for spreading the Covid pandemic, it is not Congress. But ruling BJP is blaming us. Chief Minister has conducted frequent meetings during Covid, MLCs have an oath-taking ceremony has taken place at Vidhana Soudha. Subhash Guttedar, Renukacharya, Union ministers have held a meeting despite the Covid surge in the case.
This government is not impartial to prevent the Covid pandemic. The government decision is to just prevent our Padayatra. To prevent Padayatra, the government issued guidelines after guidelines. We will not be afraid to notice, but we respect the safety of public health. Today, it is not because of Padayatra, Covid is spreading. We are considered about the health of the people in the state. For these reasons, we have decided to suspend Padayatra.
“Our decision is to suspend not because of cases filed against us, it is because of safety of people. According to the report, Covid cases are more in Bengaluru. Today we have supposed to reach Bidadi. Our earlier plan we have to culminate padayatra on January 19 in Bengaluru. After taking feedback from senior leaders, we have decided to suspend Padayatra temporally. After Covid cases decrease, we will resume our Padayatra from Namanagara. We will resume the Padayatra from Ramanagara once Coronavirus cases reduce”, said the Opposition leader.
“It is only a temporary suspension of Padayatra, I would request our party workers not to lose hopes”, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
“People have given our whelming response for our Padayatra. Especially women are standing on the roadside to wish success for our Padayatra. This movement is pro-people and people have blessed us during five days of Padayatra”, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
Excerpts of D.K.Shivakumar speech
Yesterday night one officer has come to my house, he showed the notice of Deputy Commissioner, asking us to prevent Padayatra. I asked him if DC has a Covid positive. In the notice, it has instructed us to cancel the Padayatra.
After taking opinions from our party MLAs, we have decided to call off Padayatra temporally. We will not stop this Yatra, we will continue this Yatra from Ramanagara. It is temporally suspended in the interest of the people of Karnataka and respecting the sentiments of the Court.
“In fact, I and Siddaramaiah alone continue to walk for water from Ramanagara. But our party workers will join us. Congress party will not be afraid to the threat of the government’, Mr. Shivakumar said.
It is only a temporary call off of Padayatra. We will never forget the overwhelming response of the people during Padayatra. We will be committed to the cause to provide pure drinking water to the people.
