The Janata Dal (Secular), which had convened a meeting of party leaders on Tuesday to discuss the modalities of an intended protest against the government’s alleged anti-farmer and anti-labour policies, has deferred the meeting indefinitely on account of COVID-19.
“In the light of the pandemic and in the interest of the health of all, the party has decided to defer Tuesday’s meeting,” JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda said in a statement.
Party sources said that though Mr. Gowda was keen to meet party leaders and legislators, he finally decided to put off the meeting after his aides suggested that it would be difficult for party leaders to get to Bengaluru from faraway places at this point in time.
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“Already, four of the party legislators are undergoing treatment after testing positive [for COVID-19]. The list of leaders who were scheduled to be present had also grown. We did not want to take any chances,” a source said.
The party is firm on demanding the withdrawal of ordinances pertaining to the dilution of Karnataka Land Reforms Act and APMC Act, besides a host of labour laws, sources said, adding that the JD (S) would take up these issues at a later time.