A few days ago hundreds of people broke lockdown rules in Tamil Nadu to come together for the funeral of a bull, not giving a damn about social distancing amid coronavirus outbreak. And it only gets worse.
More recently, hundreds of people 'participated in the Siddhalingeswara temple chariot festival in Chitapur village on Thursday, violating the lockdown orders,¡¯?ANI reported.?Kalaburagi is listed as a coronavirus hotspot in Karnataka. This particular district has witnessed three COVID-19 related deaths; the first national causality was also reported from Kalaburagi.?
On the morning of April 16, "Around 100-150 people had come near Siddalingeshwara temple for about 20 minutes and took part in chariot pulling procession," ANI quoted Superintendent of Police Lada Martin as saying.?
A case has reportedly been registered against 20 people. Investigation into the details of the religious gathering is underway.?In relation to the case, a sub-inspector has been suspended.
Also, ¡®Child development project officer who was assigned as the sector magistrate for Chitapur Rural has been suspended by Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner, B Sharath¡¯, the?ANI report adds.
Thirty-six new coronavirus cases were reported in Karnataka on Thursday, taking the state¡¯s tally to 315; of these 220 are active and 82 have recovered.?
Stricter rules and stronger police vigilance are needed to discourage people from coming out of their houses for such religious gatherings. People should be made aware of the fatal consequences of their gathering in large numbers. Unless, the lockdown is taken seriously, it will be hard, given India¡¯s population to contain the spread of COVID-19.?