Row over Kumaraswamy wedding: BJP says blame Gowda if virus spreads, JDS leader says don't politicise

Bengaluru: The Kumaraswamy wedding at a farmhouse near Bengaluru has triggered a political row over concerns of lockdown rules and social distancing norms being flouted even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread.

BJP leaders in Karnataka have hit out at the JDS leaders, including former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, whose son Nikhil Kumaraswamy got married to Revathi, the daughter of a former Congress minister.

According to PTI, Ramanagara BJP president M Rudresh alleged that around 150-200 cars were given the permission to attend the event at the Kumaraswamy farmhouse outside Bengaluru.

“The information we have is that at least 150 to 200 vehicles were given permission to attend the event. This happened when the social workers who want to serve the badly affected poor people are not getting permission to run their vehicles,” Ramanagar BJP district president M Rudresh alleged.

When asked about the large number of vehicles being allowed to go to the wedding, the police said that they were handed a list of the registration numbers of the cars that had to permitted for the wedding.

The BJP leader further said, “Till now Ramanagara is safe from coronavirus and is in the green zone. If at all the disease spreads in Ramanagara, the entire blame will be on Deve Gowda’s family.”

Karnataka Deputy CM CN Ashwath Naraya also said that the state government had asked the concerned authorities to film the entire wedding event. He also said that if any rules were violated, action will be taken against the family.

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On the other hand, JDS spokersperson Tanveer Ahmed said, “We shouldn’t do politics over this. The Deputy CM should bless the couple. Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy are responsible citizens. It’s their son’s wedding and they just attended it. Hindus’ wedding dates are based on numbers and stars.”

Earlier, Kumaraswamy had claimed that several family doctors were consulted before proceeding with the wedding of his son Nikhil and no rules were violated.