Cong's Mekedatu padayatra in Karnataka enters second day, top leaders booked for COVID rules violation

The opposition Congress' 'padayatra' (march), demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river entered the second day on Monday, even as the police has booked senior party leaders including Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar for taking out the protest, defying COVID-19 curbs.

FIRs have been registered against nearly 30 Congress leaders and others for taking part in it, official sources said.

According to sources, FIR has been registered against Congress' state president D K Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah, Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh at Sathanur police station for defying restrictions on Sunday.

Several other prominent party leaders including former Union Minister Veerappa Moily, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Former Deputy CM G Parameshwara; also film personalities like- actor Duniya Vijay, actor and music director Sadhu Kokila- who participated in the padayatra's inaugural, have been named in the FIR.

Sources said, cases have been registered for violation of COVID rules and prohibitory orders, under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act and sections of IPC.

However, Congress leaders and workers continued their march for the second day today, and covered a distance of about 15 km from Shivakumar's native Doddalahalli to Kanakapura.

The government has imposed curfew on weekends and restricted public gatherings to fight the surge in COVID-19 cases, till January 19. It has also prohibited all rallies, dharnas and protests, among others, as part of containment measures.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, hitting out at Congress leaders for continuing their march, said the law will take its course against the organisers and important people who have violated the rules.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, anybody who violates the law will face action.

''Further action will automatically follow with the case registered. Whatever action should be taken under particular sections, will be taken, it will definitely happen and there will be no differentiation in it. How much ever big a leader or a common man, the person involved is, action will be taken in accordance with law,'' he added.

The 10 days padayatra with the theme 'Namma Neeru Namma Hakku' (Our water, Our right) that began at Sangama, the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers at Kanakapura in Ramanagara district on Sunday under the leadership of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, will be spanning a distance of nearly 139 km.

Stating that according to his information FIRs have been registered on Sunday against about 30 leaders who participated in the padayatra and violated rules, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said, today also there are violations and more cases may be registered.

''Everything is left to the Ramanagara district administration, if there is any violation, whether by Congress people or anyone else action will be taken,'' he said.

Reacting to the FIR, Shivakumar claimed that curfew wasn't followed in many parts of the state and no cases have been booked against BJP leaders who violated COVID rules, while FIR has been registered only against 30 people who participated in the Congress' padayatra.

Further stating that he has advised the Congress' Legal cell to look into the government not taking action against BJP leaders who violated the rules, he said, ''this is a political fight, fight against injustice....if cases are not registered, we will fight against it.'' In his reaction, Siddaramaiah said, ''I have seen they (authorities) have filed FIR, let them...let them take whatever action they want.'' The former Chief Minister, who returned to the city from the padayatra last evening, due to fever, did not take part today, and took rest as per the Doctor's advice.

''I'm quite fine now.....as fever increased yesterday I had to return. I have taken treatment.....I will join the padayatra tomorrow morning,'' he said.

Wary about the consequences of taking strong action like making arrests or stopping the padayatra, that too on an emotive issue linked to interstate river dispute, the state government seems to have decided to ''go slow'' on the Congress march in violation of its COVID restrictions.

Asked whether the police and government who take action on common people are feeling helpless in acting against politicians, the Home Minister said ''definitely the government is not helpless.'' ''FIR has been registered against 30 people yesterday, they (authorities) have also mentioned others in FIR for violation, and action will be taken against all those responsible...legal action will be taken,'' he said.

To a question why didn't the government act to stop the march, despite knowing about the large gathering of people, much in advance, Jnanendra said, ''we felt that as a responsible political party the Congress, may take a decision in the interest of the people at the last moment, but they did not, and are adamant on going ahead with the march.'' Noting that stopping padayatra is not a big thing with the police force available, he said, to avoid any untoward incident there, the government decided to act smoothly in the interest of the people, and accused the Congress of playing politics during the coronavirus pandemic.

Replying to a question as to whether the march would be stopped from entering Bengaluru city that has been witnessing a spike in COVID cases, the Home Minister not giving any direct response said, the government will do everything possible to protect the city.

''The city is witnessing a spike by reporting nearly 10,000 cases, at such a situation, protecting the life of the people is the government's priority, and in case the situation deteriorates because of the march and leads to a lockdown-like situation, the Congress will have to take the responsibility,'' he said.

The Mekedatu multipurpose (drinking and power) project involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district of Karnataka, to which the neighboring Tamil Nadu is opposed to.

The project once completed is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC) and also can generate 400 MW power, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore.