Complaint filed with Karnataka Guv against CM for attending wedding amid Covid-19 oubreak

An activist has filed a complaint with the Karnataka governor against Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, several members of parliament, assembly and legislative council for attending a wedding ceremony in Belagavi on Sunday despite the state’s government’s directive prohibiting all mass gatherings of over 100 people due to Coronavirus threat. 

In the complaint copy, the activist has stated that it is a complaint in the public interest against CM BS Yediyurappa, MPs, MLAs and MLCs for their grave negligence, violation of government's order/directions and mockery of the state legislature and its orders. 

The complaint copy reads, ‘it shows that the legislative heads of this state itself are mocking their own orders/directions and regulations’. The petitioner added, ‘His Excellency Governor may strictly take note on this and take necessary legal actions against all those who are part of such gatherings and may kindly take actions to protect the mass from Coronavirus. Else it will be under the notion that laws and regulations are only for the common subjects and not for the politicians, political leaders, ministers and the very protectors of law and order will be considered as lawbreakers, hence this complaint’. 

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CM attends wedding ceremony of MLC

On Sunday, March 15th, several high-profile guests, including the chief minister attended the wedding ceremony of MLC and Karnataka government’s Chief Whip in the council, Mahantesh Kavatahimath’s daughter in Belagavi district. Despite a ban by the state government on public gatherings of more than one hundred people, close to a thousand guests were part of the grand wedding celebrations. 

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The chief minister faced criticism, both from opposition parties and citizens, for attending the ceremony when citizens are undergoing inconvenience to avoid gatherings. So far, Yediyurappa has not broken his silence on the issue despite being asked by reporters. 

Apart from Yediyurappa, other high profile guests included MoS for Railways Suresh Angadi, Rajya Sabha MP Prabhakar Kore, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Textile Minister Shrimant Patil and several others. 

The first death due to Coronavirus in India was reported from Karnataka’s Kalburgi after a 76-year old man who had returned from Saudi Arabia passed away on March 10th. The state has so far reported a total of 11 cases of positive Coronavirus patients. In view of the pandemic spreading, the state government had ordered a close-down of schools, colleges, malls, offices, pubs and all places of mass gatherings including wedding ceremonies with more than 100 guests.

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