Public is permitted to buy essentials in their vehicles in Karnataka

Karnataka DGP, Praveen Sood

Bengaluru: On Monday, Karnataka Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) had mentioned in his tweet that people who wish to purchase essentials of daily needs and food products can move around in vehicles.

The tweet followed the incident where police had begun to block the people who had come out of their homes to buy essentials in their private vehicles. People near shops, markets and other public places were seen beaten by the police since morning. To this, people reacted sharply saying that the cops were not permitting them to buy even the essential items.

Sood said in his tweet, “To buy groceries, vegetables and daily needs, there is NO BAR for using vehicle to your neighbourhood shop in cities or nearest availability point in rural areas. Use this facility with discretion and not as a license for a free run every day. Stay at home for your own safety.”

Complaints of police highhandedness against the citizens reached Vidhana Soudha and opposition leaders including former chief minister Siddaramaiah took Yediyurappa and others to task.

“It is a thoughtless decision by @BJP4Karnataka govt to ban vehicle movement while allowing essential commodities shops to open from 6 am to 10 am. Rural people will have to walk for 2-3 kms to buy groceries, milk or any essential goods. How can senior citizens and others walk with goods in hand?”, tweeted Siddaramaiah.

After the tweet by Sood, the public reacted saying that police should be instructed. Sardar MTanaz tweeted, “Please circulate this order immediately to all the police stations across the state so that the public would not face any Lathi Charge from police that too in Kannada for better understanding.”

RiyazKhateeb tweeted, “A boke of nursing staff @gulbarga has been seized by @KlbCityPolice while going to attend his duty and taken to behind mini Vidhan Soudha DC office Kalaburagi. Is there any directions to seize medical staff, pharmacists and patient attendees vehicles Sir?”

Simon Riley who is a Twitter user said, “In that case, you need to clearly mention your officers to talk and react on people. It’s been on news everywhere that coos are using brute force to public I know it’s in the interest of general public but innocents are getting hurt while tackling covidiots.”