On April 25, a video of the mehendi ceremony of Udupi Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumarachandra’s daughter surfaced on social media. The event, which allegedly took place on April 23, flouted all physical distancing norms. In the video, a group of dancers, who aren’t wearing masks, can be seen escorting the bride. Visuals also show several children, without masks, participating in the programme.
Mehendi event of Udupi Additional SPs daughter on April 23. A team of dancers escort the bride.
— Nolan Pinto (@nolanentreeo) April 25, 2021
Government rule: 50 max
Government officer's rule: what 50?
(1) pic.twitter.com/9BqcKbQtvD
In a photo from the event, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Udupi, G Jagadeesh is seen in attendance. He too is without a mask and not following physical distancing.
And then...
— Nolan Pinto (@nolanentreeo) April 25, 2021
Udupi DC N Jagadish comes along. No Covid protocols followed. He is quoted saying that people are bound to wear masks only in public spaces and not in private spaces.@IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/vZzcr17Ef8
The incident comes after several restrictions were placed on events and weddings in the state. On April 17, Revenue Minister R Ashoka announced, after a meeting with Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Health Minister K Sudhakar, that more restrictions would be imposed on functions in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Accordingly, the number of guests for weddings was restricted to 200 for outdoor venues and 100 for indoor venues, and guests would be required to carry a pass provided by the DC. For any other outdoor events, the limit would be 50 guests.
After the video surfaced, several people took to Twitter criticising the event and made comments such as “Since when did the law apply to lawmakers and law enforcers?” and “Udupi DC and Additional SP can violate the tough rules. Shame on your officers. Rules are only for poor people?“
The restrictions on weddings and events in the state were imposed amid a huge surge in COVID-19 cases in Karnataka. Udupi reported a massive spike in COVID-19 cases from 282 on Friday to 403 on Saturday. Meanwhile, Karnataka recorded the highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases, going from 26,962 cases on Friday to 29,438 on Saturday. The state also reported a total of 208 deaths on Saturday.