I beg govt to make arrangements for last rites of COVID victims in dignified manner: Kumaraswamy

Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Friday it is really “height of inhuman behaviour” on the part of the government as he alleged that it has failed to ensure proper arrangements for conducting the last rites of COVID patients. Noting that Bengaluru is surrounded in all its eight directions by forest land that lacks any tree cover, the JD(S) leader said the government should make arrangements here on a daily basis to conduct last rites of those succumbing to the pandemic. The government should consider this as its priority, he said. He urged the government to take measures on a warfooting to conduct the last rites of at least 25 bodies on a daily basis in each segment (of the total eight) of the deemed forest surrounding Bengaluru in all its eight directions.

“The government did not give beds, oxygen, ventilator and life-saving drugs to COVID patients,” he alleged. “I beg the government with folded hands and pain in my heart to at least make arrangements now to conduct the last rites of victims in a dignified manner”. The government which “utterly failed” in providing proper medical facilities to the COVID infected persons should not delay the process of arranging for proper place to conduct their last rites, Kumaraswamy said.

“Otherwise, have no doubts that people will curse the government. It is really heart wrenching to see the hardships being faced by the kin of COVID infected persons,” he added. Karnataka on Thursday reported biggest single day spike of 25,795 new cases of COVID-19, and 123 related fatalities.