ACCESSED: Permission letter for Kumaraswamy wedding, listing guidelines for ceremony

While former Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy claimed that his son's wedding 'followed government's precautionary measures', the visuals which emerged from the event showed mass violations of the lockdown. Republic TV on Friday, has accessed the permission letter issued by the government which clearly outlined the precautions to be taken in any marriage ceremonies. The guidelines state social distancing, masks to be worn by guests, thermal screening of guests, no airconditioning etc.

Here is a copy of the permission letter:

COVID-19: Violation of lockdown in Kumaraswamy's son's wedding, over 200 present at venue 

• (All precautionary measures to be taken according to the guidelines on COVID 19.
• Marriage should be simple.
• Everybody who attends the marriage shall wear Masks
• Everybody should maintain social distance
• A police team and health team should monitor the attendees
• Attendees should undergo thermal screening
• It is inter-district marriage is been conducted, so there should necessary permission to be taken from the respective police officers.
• No Air conditioning skulls be allowed as per the guidelines of COVID-19)

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Nikhil Kumaraswamy's wedding amid COVID-19

Kumaraswamy's son - Nikhil wedded grandniece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa - Revathi, on Friday at Ramanagara, which has not reported a single COVID-19 case as of date. Sources state that over 60 cars were allowed at the venue,  20 videographers apart from the wedding, catering and event management crew serving over 200 guests - including Kumaraswamy and former PM HD Deve Gowda. Visuals also show that neither social distancing was maintained during the 'grand ceremony', nor were any of the guests - including the bride and groom - were wearing masks at the event.

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Karnataka under lockdown

After Kerala, Karnataka was one of the early states to seal its borders and initiate a curfew amid the spread of Coronavirus. On March 11, Yediyurappa invoked relevant sections of The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 announcing that all malls, cinema halls, pubs, marriages and other large gatherings in the state have been banned for a week. Karnataka was the first state to witness a COVID-19 death when a 76-year-old man from Karnataka's Kalaburagi who had returned from Saudi Arabia to Hyderabad passed away. The state's COVID-19 tally is at 353, with 13 deaths.

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