Firing during celebrations at BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Rally, 4 held

Bengaluru: Karnataka police have arrested four people for celebratory firing during Jan Ashirwad Yaatra. On Tuesday, the police reported that a few shots were fired at Yadgir. ‘Two of the four seized guns are licensed. Verification for other two weapons are underway,’ according to a senior police officer.

In video footage from the rally, former minister Babarao Chinchansur poses with a gun as BJP supporters boogie to drumbeats. The yatra was led by Union Minister Bhagwant Khuba — junior minister for Chemical and Fertilizer — to introduce the new Central ministers to the people. Jan Ashirwad Yatra is taking place across 22 states and 39 central ministers have participated.

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There are four central ministers the BJP intends to introduce from Karnataka: Union Minister of State for Social Justice Anekal Narayanaswamy, junior minister for Animal Husbandry L Murugan, junior agriculture minister Shohba Karandlaje and Bhagwanth Khuba, the junior minister for New and Renewable Energy.

Rajeev Chandrashekhar has been leading the Yatra in Hubbali under the leadership of Shobha Karandlaje. Narayanswami began his Yatra from the State BJP Headquarters in Bengaluru.

The Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers Bhagwant Khuba was leading the yatra at Bidar and Yadgir. As rallies, scheduled from several parts of the nation, are taking place amid the Covid pandemic, but safety protocol is not being followed in most places.

Covid numbers in the state are dropping, with 1,298 new cases being reported on Tuesday, and 32 deaths also found. The number of people who have been infected has reached 29,31,827, and 37,039 have died as result.

Currently, the positivity rate in Bengaluru is 0.57, whereas it was 1.27 on July 28. The positivity rate in the state has fallen from 1.20 on August 1 to 0.76. Despite this, experts have warned against violating safety protocols, particularly in light of a possible third wave of the virus.