Key points:
- “There was a public opinion that a night curfew is not necessary, hence it has been decided to withdraw it after discussions with Cabinet ministers and senior officials,” BS Yediyurappa said.
- In the statement, he urged citizens to follow all Covid-19 precautionary measures like wearing face masks and ensuring social distancing.
In a statement on Thursday evening, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that after the public whoop he held a meeting with officials and ministers and decided to withdraw the night curfew order. “There was a public opinion that a night curfew is not necessary, hence it has been decided to withdraw it after discussions with Cabinet ministers and senior officials,” he said.
The Karnataka government Thursday withdrew its night curfew order just six hours before it was supposed to be imposed across the state.
The decision to impose night curfew for nine days from 11 pm to 5 am starting from Thursday was taken on Wednesday by Yediyurappa in line with the Centre’s advice, amid concerns over a new Covid-19 variant spreading in the UK.
In the statement, he urged citizens to follow all Covid-19 precautionary measures like wearing face
masks and ensuring social distancing. Yediyurappa asked the public to avoid unnecessary travel and help to stop the spread of the Covid-19.
Congress had opposed the decision to impose a night curfew. Earlier on Thursday morning, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar had called the night curfew an “illogical” move and demanded that the night curfew should be withdrawn.
Karnataka was the second state after Maharashtra to impose night curfew across the state. On Wednesday morning while announcing the curfew he had said: “In view of the new strain of Coronavirus, night curfew for nine days will be imposed till January 2.”