Negative optics leave Congress concerned

High command had been increasingly worried about gathering public outrage because of rising cases

After playing a ‘cat and mouse’ game with the BJP Government as to who will blink first, the Congress finally called off its Mekedatu padayatra to Bengaluru on Thursday at Ramanagaram town temporarily. Both the parties had sparred over the padayatra raising political dust in the past week.

While the Congress did not want to be seen as backing off from its announcement, the State Government was walking a fine line by merely filing FIRs without taking any action to prevent the congregation on the ground fearing a sympathy for the Congress. Eventually, it was the High Court’s observations on Wednesday that precipitated the decision.

Though the BJP had been attacking the Congress for the padayatra amid the raging pandemic, it was also under pressure to act by its own leaders as the Government was being seen as going slow on the rampant and large-scale violations of COVID-19 norms while common man was being penalised. In four days, the padayatra had covered about 70 km and another about 100 km was to have been covered.