BELAGAVI: Less than two days after suggesting weddings must be a low-key affair with not more than 100 in attendance as part of a lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday attended a wedding in Belagavi which had 2,000 guests.The CM attended the wedding of the daughter of party colleague and MLC Mahantesh Kavatgimath and relished ameal along with home minister Basavaraj Bommai, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, MLCs N Ravi Kumar and Lahor Singh Sisoriya.Photos of the CM at the dining hall showed at least 500 people were around him.Party sources and police officers who provided security to the VVIPs said “no less than 2,000 people” attended the wedding. None of the security personnel or those around him were seen wearing protective gears.Emotional plea changed Yediyurappa’s mindThe CM arrived at the wedding venue around 11.15am and blessed the couple before heading to the dining area.On Friday, the CM announced a lockdown in Karnataka to check the spread of Covid-19 and said, “As a precautionary measure, we are closing down places where mass gatherings happen for the next one week.” He had placed restrictions on weddings, parties and sporting tournaments, forcing many to defer or cancel planned events.Sources in the CMO said Yediyurappa had cancelled his plan to attend the Belagavi wedding, but changed his mind after Kavatgimath made an “emotional plea that it’s a matter of prestige for him and his family to have the CM at the ceremony”.A source said, “Kavatgimath is BJP’s chief whip in the legislative council. The CM’s absence would not have gone well with the local people. He forced the CM to attend the event.”The CM received flak from the opposition parties and activists for his appearance at the wedding. “It’s an irresponsible decision (to attend the wedding). When the state is coordinating with the government on measures to check Covid-19, the leader at helm is least bothered to follow his own rules,” said Congress spokesperson and MLC Ivan D’souza. The lawmaker said Kavatgimath had invited him too, but he chose to obey the advisory.Ashok Chandaragi, a Kannada activist from Belagavi, didn’t attend the wedding. He said the CM is sending a wrong message by flouting his own advisory.