Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwathnarayan Narayan Thursday said that action will be taken against the former CM HD Kumaraswamy for getting his son married with fanfare defying the lockdown, otherwise, it will be a complete mockery of the system. The Deputy CM said that the state government has asked the concerned authorities to film the entire wedding and he would seek a report from Ramnagar Deputy Commissioner.
I have sought a report from Ramnagar Deputy Commissioner. I will speak to the Superintendent of Police, we need to take action otherwise it will be a complete mockery of the system: CN Ashwathnarayan, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister https://t.co/N8OVxxq3Gt pic.twitter.com/WGl8ZLATZw
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020
“Kumaraswamy has made a public statement that guidelines will be followed. He is a people representative. He’s in public life for a long time. He should abide by the guidelines. Since he’s in a responsible position for a long time, he was chief minister of Karnataka, he’s also an MLA from Ramnagar, so guidelines must be followed in his son’s marriage as per the rules amid COVID-19 scare. After the marriage, there must not be any excuse, he can’t say that people came without invitation, said the Deputy CM to news agency ANI.
While the entire country is under strict lockdown and many weddings and funerals have been cancelled across the nation owing to the lockdown, the political heavyweights of Karnataka, the Gowda family headed by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, got their grandson married on Friday.
Putting many more lives at risk, actor-turned-politician, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grandniece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, at a farmhouse about 28 km from state capital Bengaluru.
Family and relatives thronged the farmhouse of Kumaraswamy, where the bride and groom exchanged garlands. Priests and family members including Deve Gowda were seen in the backdrop. The media was banned from entering the Ramanagara district while around 30-40 cars were seen heading towards the location from Bengaluru.
The families had earlier organized the wedding in Bengaluru. Despite the lockdown, Kumaraswamy refused to defer the big day but instead shifted the venue. Any such mass movement and public gatherings, weddings that are attended by a large number of people have been banned by the government due to the lockdown and over the fear of the deadly coronavirus spreading.
“It would be difficult to maintain social distancing if the event was organised at home. That’s the reason we are organising the event at our farmhouse in Bidadi. I request my workers and well-wishers to avoid attending the event,” Mr Kumaraswamy said, adding that the decision to go ahead with the wedding was taken in consultation with doctors, including those in his family.
“Only around 60 to 70 people” of the family would attend the wedding, he claimed.
Karnataka has recorded 315 coronavirus cases, including 13 deaths.
