Close on the heels of his remark that “only god can save people from COVID-19” attracting political criticism, Health Minister B. Sriramulu on Thursday claimed that his words were misinterpreted and misunderstood.

“While responding to claims of the Opposition that the government’s negligence, irresponsibility and lack of coordination among Ministers was responsible for the rise in COVID-19 cases in the State, I stated that these accusations were far from the truth. People need to be aware and cautious to avoid the spread of the virus. This plays a vital role in controlling the pandemic. If we fail at this crucial step, the situation can get complicated. And if things become worse, then only god can save us. These were the words used as caution,” the Minister tweeted on Thursday.

Maintaining that there was no need to create panic, Mr. Sriramulu said, “Our government led by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is working round the clock. This is a difficult situation for the whole world and we all are doing our best for the people of our State to win the battle against this pandemic.”

The BJP leader faced criticism from the Opposition for his remarks, with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D. K. Shivakumar even demanding his resignation. Meanwhile, trying to downplay Mr. Sriramulu’s remarks, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai maintained that it was a general remark not intended to create panic.