Siddaramaiah returns from Cong’s Mekedatu ‘padayatra’ due to fever

Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly, Siddaramaiah who took part in the Congress’ padayatra in Ramanagara district on Sunday, demanding implementation of Mekedatu project across river Cauvery, has returned to the city post-lunch, due to fever, party sources said.

Videos of former Chief Minister speaking to Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, former Minister R V Deshpande, and other Congress leaders about him having fever and wanting to take rest for some time, and later leaving in his official car, have surfaced.

Responding to a question regarding Siddaramaiah’s fever, state Congress President D K Shivakumar said, ”we should understand he is nearing 74-75 years of age, he has stents, we had asked him not to climb the upward route today, so naturally there he has strain.” Though Congress sources have confirmed that Siddaramaiah has left for Bengaluru due to fever post-lunch and is likely to return to padayatra once he is fine, there is no official word yet from his office about the nature of the fever.

Meanwhile, Major and Medium Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol has tweeted expressing concern about Siddaramaiah developing a fever.

”I’m concerned that the Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, who took part in padayatra, has developed a fever. Mr Siddaramaiah please take rest, your health is important,” Karjol tweeted.

Pointing to Siddaramaiah keeping away from padayatra due to fever, the ruling BJP in a tweet criticized the Congress and questioned whether its padayatra is to provide water for Bengaluru or to spread COVID in the city.

The Congress began its 10-day padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru this morning, despite the government’s COVID-19 restrictions and warnings.

Led by Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, the padayatra with the theme ‘Namma Neeru Namma Hakku’ (Our water, Our right) began at the Sangama, the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers in Kanakapura in Ramanagara district, is scheduled to pass through Kanakapura, Ramanagara and Bidadi, before culminating at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on January 19, spanning a distance of 139 kms.