Bengaluru, Sep 24 (IANS): In a strong bid to scotch the rumour about the imposition of lockdown again, Karnataka Medical Education Minister, Dr. K. Sudhakar on Thursday said there was no proposal before the state government to reimpose lockdown.

Speaking to reporters here, Sudhakar clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did suggest imposing the lockdown, but it was not mandatory for anyone of the states which participated in Wednesday's interaction with him. "It was more of a suggestion from his side rather than a direction. Moreover, I do not see any reason to implement it in Karnataka," he explained.

Quoting Prime Minister Modi, Sudhakar asserted that the state governments need to focus more on the micro-containment zones. "It was a fruitful discussion. Let none should misinterpret or misguide people in the state or elsewhere. There will be no seal down also," he retorted in response to a question.

While Tourism Minister, C.T. Ravi asserted that the state government was in favour of increasing awareness about Covid-19 and there was no talk on lockdown within the government. "What needs to be done is people should strictly follow safety protocols, if at all we want to fight this dreaded virus. There will be no lockdown in Bengaluru or elsewhere in the state," he claimed.