Karnataka: Raj K.S. Eshwarappa, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat, along with his family members, visited the Ganapati temple at Vinoba Nagar in Shivamogga, violating the lockdown guidelines.
Eshwarappa, who has attracted controversy in the past, this time violated lockdown rules by visiting the Ganapathi temple at Vinoba Nagar in Shivamogga on Thursday, June 10. He was celebrating his 73rd birthday. Over 14 members of the Minister’s family, including his wife, children and grandchildren, visited the temple. According to the COVID-19 guidelines, only priests are allowed to offer worship for a few minutes every day.
According to the media report, eyewitnesses told that Eshwarappa and his family arrived at the temple, which was opened solely for him, at around 8.15 am. He was reportedly inside the temple for almost 30 minutes, offering a special pooja.
The State government has forced strict guidelines, including restraining the entry of believers to temples, as a measure to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Mr. Eshwarappa, being the Minister in charge of the Shivamogga district, held several meetings to ensure effective implementation of the guidelines.
CM Yediyurappa, on June 10, announced that the lockdown in the state will continue while relaxations were announced for 20 districts, including Bengaluru Urban, from June 14. Since April 27, Karnataka has been under lockdown. The decision to relax restraints in certain districts was taken as the COVID-19 cases have been dipping across the state. The existing lockdown rules will remain with no changes in districts with high test positivity rate (TPR).
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