Karnataka Forest Minister Umesh V Katti on Tuesday attended a public meeting in Belagavi, where he was seen without wearing a mask.
When asked about it, he claimed, "[PM Narendra Modi] himself said...he'll not make anything mandatory...It's...individual's responsibility to wear...mask."
"In that way, it's left up to me too...I didn't feel like wearing it...so I didn't wear it," Katti added.
His remarks have drawn outrage as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to be on the rise in Karnataka, and as the government gears up to handle the situation.