BENGALURU: As the clock struck 9 on Sunday night, it looked like as if Deepavali came a few months early. Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to switch off lights for 9 minutes and instead light diyas or candles or even flash torchlight from mobile phones, BJP netas responded. Leading the light brigade was Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa He was seen lighting lamps at his residence in Bengaluru and then holding a traditional diya in hand.
Many Karnataka ministers like DCM C N Ashwath Narayan and MPs were seen standing outside their houses in the backdrop of their illuminated balconies or terraces (lamps were lit and shed a glow ). Minister S Suresh Kumar stood outside his house with his family members all holding lamps in their hands. Senior minister Jagadish Shettar was seen with wife Shilpa Shettar holding a lit diya. MP from Bangalore South Tejasvi Surya tweeted, ``This is my city responding to my Prime Minister’s call.’’
BJP spokesman Go Madhusudhan told TNIE, “Glowing lamps express solidarity of the country in the fight against corona.’’
BJP national general secretary B L Santosh who is from Karnataka, tweeted, “Thank you, Bengaluru.”
But PM Modi’s call caused a lot of fireworks, literally. While citizens burst firecrackers, and it was reminiscent of Deepavali, the opposition let go ‘fireworks’ over the whole ‘exercise’. Former CM and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah sarcastically said, “By lighting a lamp or ringing a bell, we cannot fight corona.’’ He said people were already united in their fight against corona.
KPCC president D K Shivakumar when asked about `lighting a lamp’, had recently said, ``How will the poor and daily wage worker benefit from it? India has finest economists whom we have to invite and plan how to deal with the crisis instead.
What will we gain by lighting a lamp or clapping?’’ The JDS blew hot and cold. While former PM Deve Gowda received a call from the PM and spoke to him and assured him of support, son and former CM H D Kumaraswamy tweeted: `Has the PM `slyly’ asked the nation to observe a candle light vigil on the eve of foundation day, what else can explain the choice of date and time for this event? I challenge the PM to offer a credible scientific and rational explanation.
’’ In a series of tweets, he said, ``The government is yet to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to doctors and make test kits affordable for the common man. Without telling the nation what concrete steps are being taken to combat COVID-19, the Prime Minister is giving meaningless tasks to an already exhausted population.’’ Prithvi Reddy, convenor, AAP said, “The country expects more from our PM.”