Ex-CM Kumaraswamy asks Karnataka govt to temporarily postpone

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday urged the government to temporarily postpone the ongoing session of Karnataka legislature in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, and to asked it to follow what it was preaching to the people.

In a series of tweets, the former Chief Minister said the government, which was advising people to follow certain steps to control the spread of coronavirus, should immediately postpone the legislature session.

When the government has issued directives against hundreds of people congregating at one place, it was not right for it to hold the session at this juncture, where hundreds of legislators, officials, journalists and people gather.

"Immediately the government should become alert.I urge that the session should be postponed temporarily.

People should not feel that the government was preaching something and was practising something else," he added.

The budget session that is currently on had commenced on March 2 and is scheduled to conclude on March 31.

The JDS leader supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to express gratitude towards medical professionals, police, and civic workers, among others, by giving them a five-minute standing ovation at 5 pm on Sunday by clapping hands, beating plates or ringing out bells.

Kumaraswamy requested the government to encourage them by giving some incentive for their fight against the disease.

In another tweet, he claimed that precautionary measures against the spread of the virus was not being taken care of at ATMs where people come to withdraw money.

Immediate instructions should be given and hand sanitisers have to be placed at ATMs, he demanded.