K'taka Congress brands Padrayanapure incident as criminal

Bengaluru: Condemning the ruckus at Padrayanapure here on Sunday when officials had gone to shift secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients to quarantine facility, Karnataka Congress on Monday termed it as criminal act and not communal.

“Those who don’t respect the law have to be punished, we condemn the incident, we want the government to take appropriate action as per the law,” State Congress president D K Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters here after meeting with Muslim leaders of the party, he said Congress extends full support and cooperation to the government in the fight against COVID-19.

“This is a criminal act and not a communal issue, Some friends from BJP are trying to raise this as a communal issue. We condemn it,” he said

Tension had prevailed at Padarayanapura late on Sunday as some secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients along with a few locals tried to remove barricades and argued with officials who had come to shift them to a quarantine facility.

Health care and police personnel were allegedly attacked during the incident.

According to police, 59 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Responding to a question about such repeated incidents of attack on health care workers in localities dominated by a particular community, Shivakumar said, “if any one has done anything wrong, let law take its course….there should be no communal angle to such incidents, whoever has committed it- a crime is a crime.”

Leader of Opposition and CLP leader Siddaramaiah termed the incident as unfortunate and those responsible should be punished.

“Police, doctors and health workers are working hard by putting public safety over their personal health. It is the duty of everyone to co-operate with them. I request everyone in the state not to fall prey to fake news and propaganda,” he said in another tweet.

(