Bengaluru: With the inter-state border issue pending at the Supreme Court, Karnataka state government shows no signs of easing its restrictions for critically ill patients from Kerala's Kasaragod district.
Opening of Karnataka's borders to Kerala at this point in time will be like "embracing death," Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Saturday.
The Chief Minister repeatedly said that for his government interest of the people of the state was supreme.
Yediyurappa made his stand clear in a letter to former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.
Gowda had recently written to the Chief Minister on March 31 seeking relaxation of the border restrictions on "humanitarian" grounds.
He had also written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing his anguish against Karnataka authorities for imposing restriction and promising to raise the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Stating the decision to close the border was not sudden, Yediyurappa said, it was a conscious decision after analysing the health situation in the area following the spread of COVID-19.
The Chief Minister cited the Indian Medical Association, Mangaluru branch data regarding the spread of COVID-19 in Kasaragod of Kerala and surrounding areas which was alarming.
Noting that the region has more than a 100 positive coronavirus cases, he said, "this is the region with most number of infections in the country."
Out of the 254 COVID-19 patients in Kerala, Kasaragod district currently has 123 active cases.
If this restriction is removed, it puts the health of the people of Karnataka in to risk and create a situation of "embracing death", so we will not be able to open the border, Yediyurappa said.
He also clarified that there was no prejudice behind his government's decision, and the interest of the people of the state was of utmost importance.
"...There is also no political maliciousness. We want to have good and brotherly relationship with neighbouring states," he said, adding that opening the border will open a pandora's box that will be disastrous for the state.
Yediyurappa also thanked opposition parties for their support to his government in its fight against COVID-19.
The Kerala High Court had directed Karnataka to open the borders for the transport of essential vehicles like ambulances and food trucks but it refused.
Karnataka later approached the Supreme Court to put a stay on the HC order.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and the Kerala government on the plea of Karnataka. It orally asked the Kerala government to not to precipitate the issue of opening of borders till further hearing of the matter on April 7. The northern part of Kasaragod district in Kerala depends on Mangaluru for medical facilities, especially for dialysis patients.
The nationwide lockdown and closure of border roads has resulted in the loss of seven lives inside the Kerala border.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Friday debunked the fake news that the state had closed its border with Tamil Nadu after it witnessed a spike in COVID-19 cases.
"The relationship between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is bonded in love, brotherhood, history, language and culture. People who make fake news can't fathom the depth of the relationship between the two States. Together we will overcome the challenges. Love & Respect," he tweeted.
(With PTI inputs.)
