BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday said it is important for Karnataka to shut its border with Kerala for the safety of people in the state. Responding to former PM HD Deve Gowda’s request to open the Karnataka-Kerala border as many people from Kerala are looking towards Karnataka for treatment, Yediyurappa stated that the government was responsible for every individual in Karnataka.
The CM stated that closing the Karnataka-Kerala border was not done all of a sudden, and that it was done based on a study that coronavirus cases had spread in Karnataka from Kasaragod and other parts of Kerala. “We have official information on these cases in Kerala. The data given by Indian Medical Association, Mangaluru branch, is scary.
There are 106 people affected with COVID-19 in Kasaragod. Therefore, experts advised that the border be closed. If we open the border, it will have an adverse impact on the state. It is our stand not to open the Karnataka-Kerala border,’’ the chief minister said. Yediyurappa said that Gowda had cited humanitarian grounds to open the border.
“How can we differentiate between COVID and non-COVID patients? I am concerned about people residing in Kerala, but right now, we cannot open the border. Since PM Modi announced the 21-day lockdown, Karnataka has taken all measures, but if we open this border, it will affect us,’’ he said.
“It is more important as CM to take care of Karnataka’s people at this juncture. One need not add a political twist to this. Karnataka and Kerala are like brothers. We are committed to maintaining this relationship, he stated.