Yediyurappa won't open borders to Kerala amid Covid; says it'll be like 'embracing death'

Writing a letter to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa remarked that opening up the borders between Kerala and Karnataka would be like "embracing death." His letter came in response to Gowda's letter urging Yediturappa to relax the border restrictions between the two states on "humanitarian" grounds. 

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The border stand-off comes in the backdrop of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's appeal to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah stating that many people in north Kerala’s Kasaragod district, which is closer to Mangaluru than other places in Kerala, have died for want of medical attention since the border is closed.

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Yediyurappa in his letter has made it clear that doing so would only jeopardize the lives of people living in the Mangaluru region. Stating the decision to close the border was not sudden, Yediyurappa called it "a conscious decision" after analyzing the health situation in the area following the spread of COVID-19. He also cited the Indian Medical Association in Mangaluru's branch data regarding the spread of COVID-19 in Kasargod of Kerala and surrounding areas which was alarming. 

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The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and the Kerala government on the plea of Karnataka. It orally asked the Kerala government not to precipitate the issue of opening of borders till the further hearing of the matter on April 7. The northern part of the Kasaragod district in Kerala depends on Mangaluru for medical facilities, especially for dialysis patients. The nationwide lockdown and closure of border roads has resulted in the loss of seven lives inside the Kerala border. 

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(With Agency Inputs)