Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday urged the Dakshina Kannada administration to withdraw the weekend curfew being imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 saying that the measure is affecting all sections of society.
The Dakshina Kannada district unit of CPI(M) that met under the leadership of senior leader K.R. Shriyan passed a resolution to this effect. The party said that instead of containing the spread of the pandemic, the measure will enhance the miseries of the common man.
Daily earners, including manual workers, owners and staff of commercial establishments, tailors, hairdressers and similar others working in the unorganised sector are being hit hard by the measure, the party said.
The party said that the district administration’s move goes against the State government directive which said that curfew/lockdown should not be imposed if the test positivity rate is less than 5%.
Though the positivity rate in the district is less than 2%, the administration is imposing weekend curfew and also, is hesitant in reopening schools and colleges, it said.
It is unfortunate that people’s representatives, including the district in-charge Minister, the MP and the MLAs, who should have voiced people’s concerns, are silent against the unilateral decision of the Deputy Commissioner, the party said.
If the administration does not withdraw the weekend curfew immediately, all like-minded secular parties will launch an agitation, said a release from the CPI(M) district unit.
