People cross Covid rekha, say netas

Politicians anxious as they are greeted with handshakes, garlands, shawls
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa meeting members of the public at Dhavalagiri his residence in Bengaluru | EXPRESS
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa meeting members of the public at Dhavalagiri his residence in Bengaluru | EXPRESS

BENGALURU: On Tuesday, a number of cabinet ministers, politicians and officials drove into hospitals for a Covid check. Not surprising, with the infection raging through the State, and politicians being a high-risk category – they meet people every day and more often than not, are forced to pump flesh. Neither can they work from home. Mangalore City North MLA Dr Bharat Shetty, Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, former MLC Puttanna, Kunigal MLA Dr HD Ranganath, MLC MK Pranesh, former MLA HC Balakrishna, and Congress veteran Janardhan Poojary have tested positive, sparking anxiety and concern among politicians.

They are now questioning if the rules of engagement need to change. Sumalatha told TNIE that the public doesn’t adhere to social distancing norms. People take selfies, offer shawls and garlands, and it is difficult to explain the need for social distancing and hand hygiene to everyone, she said. On any given day, a politician has dozens of visitors, usually armed with garlands and Mysore Peta, flowers, fruits, prasadam, theertha and other gifts.

Marriages, housewarming, naming ceremonies are an everyday affair. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a driver in the legislature secretariat tested positive. Many legislative sub-committees have put off their meetings by a month because of Covid. BJP General sceretary and MLC Ravi Kumar said that politicians often have to tell people not to get garlands and shawls, but few stick to the norms of social distancing. Varuna MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah seconded this, saying that he was attending to works in his constituency and found it difficult to tell visitors to ensure social distancing.

Sometimes there is only one security person, and he has a tough time, he said. Congress leader B L Shankar said that clearly, things must change. “Politicians need to change from being people pleasers to those who will deliver on the work front,’’ he said. Congress MLA and former KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao’s personal security and assistants tested positive, while he and his wife Tabu Rao tested negative. There are several officers in the middle and lower rungs who have tested positive across the state.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com