“Opening Karnataka borders to Kerala at this point in time will be like "embracing death," Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Saturday making clear his government's stand not opening the state border.
The Chief Minister repeatedly said that for his government, the 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 HD 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 district of Kerala and surrounding areas. Kasaragod saw a spike in cases last week.
Noting that the region has over 120 positive coronavirus cases, he claimed, "This is the region with the most number of infections in the country”.
If this restriction is removed, it puts the health of the people of Karnataka at risk and creates a situation of "embracing death", so we will not be able to open the border, Yediyurappa said.
He also said 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 a 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.
Incidentally, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to intervene and mediate talks between the health secretaries of both the states and allow patients from Kasaragod district to enter Mangaluru to avail emergency medical facilities. The Supreme Court has both the governments to ‘not precipitate’ the matter until the next hearing on Monday.
The Karnataka government had moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Kerala High Court’s order on April 1 to remove the blockades. The Karnataka government has imposed a blockade from Kasaragod to roads leading up to Mangaluru.