As India COVID-19 tally nears the 10-lakh mark, the Karnataka health minister, B Sriramulu said that "only god can help save us" from the deadly virus. The health minister's remarks has triggered a massive row from netizens and the opposition.
Karnataka is now the fourth-worst hit state by COVID-19 followed by Maharashtra (2.75 lakh cases), Tamil Nadu (1.51 lakh cases) and Delhi (1.16 lakh cases).
"Worldwide the number of coronavirus cases is increasing. All of us should be alert. Whether you are a member of the ruling party or in the opposition, rich or poor... the virus doesn't discriminate," the BJP leader said.
"The cases (in the state), I am sure 100 per cent will only go up in the next two months. One can keep claiming that it's because of government's negligence or irresponsibility of the ministers or that cases are up because of a lack of coordination among the ministers. All of these allegations are far from the truth. Only God can save us from coronavirus," he added.
Soon after the health minister made the controversial remarks, Congress's DK Shivakumar lashed out at the BJP government.
Karnataka's Health Minister saying "Only God can save Karnataka" reflects poorly on @BSYBJP govt's ability to handle the CoVID crisis. Why do we need such a govt if they cannot tackle the pandemic?
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) July 16, 2020
This govt's incompetency has left citizens to god's mercyhttps://t.co/Do1No6qOQo
"I had said that besides people's cooperation, God should also protect us but some media interpreted that Sriramulu has become helpless with respect to coronavirus spread," the health minister then gave a clarification.
"My intention behind saying so was that till the time a vaccine comes, it is only God who can save us. It should not be wrongly interpreted," he added.
Karnataka's Health Minister has also made headlines in the past month for flouting almost all COVID-19 norms. Early in June, flouting safety norms amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, a video tweeted by Karnataka health minister B Sriramulu showed him standing in public without a mask on.
ಕೊಡಗು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಪ್ರವಾಸ ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಮಡಿಕೇರಿಯಿಂದ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಮರಳುವಾಗ ದಾರಿ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಕಂಡ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಅಂಗಡಿಗೆ ತೆರಳಿ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿಯ ಕುಶಲೋಪರಿ ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿದ್ದು ಖುಷಿ ನೀಡಿತು.
— B Sriramulu (@sriramulubjp) June 9, 2020
ಜನಸಾಮಾನ್ಯರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಬೆರೆತಾಗಲೇ ಅವರ ಕಷ್ಟ ಸುಖಗಳ ಅರಿವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಸತ್ಯ. pic.twitter.com/4fataX1PYv
On June 2, the minister had violated physical distancing rules when he attended a grand procession in Chitradurga, where he was surrounded and garlanded by hundreds of supporters. While people swarmed in to welcome the minister with a massive apple garland, flowers were showered on him. He was on a bullock cart.
Karnataka's Health Minister B Sriramulu held a massive procession today
— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) June 2, 2020
This is the man who is supposed to be leading the fight against COVID in the state. Where is social distancing? @narendramodi One rule for citizens, another for BJP leaders?pic.twitter.com/mmtpxPiJxo
Sriramulu's words and actions have drawn massive flak, with netizens slamming the health minister for not following what he preaches.
In the last 24 hours, Karnataka was among the five states in the country that reported the maximum number of new cases, the state government said on July 16. The state recorded 3,176 new patients and 86 deaths due to the deadly virus taking its tally to 47,253 total cases; a total of 928 patients have succumbed to the virus in the state.
A week-long lockdown began on Tuesday night in the state capital Bengaluru, where a sharp rise has been recorded recently, to break the chain of transmission. Fresh restrictions have also been announced in Dhadwad, Mangalore and adjoining areas.