Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister DV Sadananda Gowda from his cabinet alleging that the union minister violated quarantine rules of the Karnataka government to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Gohil said in a video message that people are following the guidelines of the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and police is taking action against those violating lockdown norms.
"But today Union Minister Sadanand Gowda came to Bengaluru from Delhi and directly went to his home instead of going for quarantine at a quarantine centre for seven days as per the rules of Karnataka government. I request the Prime Minister to set the trend that those who make laws should not violate it. I request the Prime Minister to immediately remove him," Gohil said.
He said the BJP government in Karnataka has laid down guidelines for domestic flights and anyone coming from a place like Delhi and Mumbai will have to go directly from the airport to a quarantine centre for seven days.
"I have read the guidelines issued by the Karnataka government. There is no relaxation for any central government minister or any minister. Despite this, being a Union minister, he broke the law in his home state, " Gohil said.
Gohil, who is a Congress spokesperson, alleged that Gowda also "lied" by saying that he had a meeting with Karnataka Health Minister.
"If there was a meeting, you would have stayed in the circuit house, why did you go to your home? Nowadays, even Prime Minister is holding meetings via video conferencing. Why did he come to hold a meeting with state health minister? Even Karnataka Health Minister said that he did not know anything about the meeting," Gohil alleged.
Gowda, however, has said there are certain exemption clauses for those who hold certain responsible posts, adding that he cannot go under quarantine as he has to ensure medical supplies in every part of the country.
Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood had said that incoming domestic flight passengers from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh "will undergo 7-day institutional quarantine followed by home quarantine."
Domestic flight operations resumed today in several parts of the country after two months of suspension due to coronavirus-induced lockdown.
( With inputs from ANI )