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Bengaluru, Jan 23: Expressing shock over the blast which left him and his supporters injured yesterday, Shantinagar MLA NA Haris today said that the incident cannot be brushed aside as a firecracker blast and appealed to the state government to inquire into the incident.

Recovering from the injuries sustained on his leg, Haris was discharged from St Philomena's Hospital on Thursday afternoon. 

Interacting with mediapersons outside his residence in Shantinagar, Haris said, “It wasn’t a cracker but a ball-like object that was hurled at me. Since my childhood, I have been seeing crackers and the object that was thrown at me was certainly not a cracker. It had splinters and hard objects.”

He said, “I have been representing the constituency for over 12-years and had no rivalry with anyone. Barring political ideology during elections, all the leaders in our constituency have been cooperative with each other. Yet, we do not know what the intention was or who was behind the incident.”

Revealing that home minister Basavaraj Bommai had called him to enquire about his condition at the hospital Haris said, “I have also briefed the home minister and explained to him what exactly happened. I have full faith in the police and will cooperate with the police during the investigation.” Haris said that doctors have advised him three to four-days of rest.

Belagavi, Feb 22: A madrasa in Karnataka’s Belagavi district hosted a Hindu-Muslim mass marriage on its premises on Friday, sending a strong message of communal amity. As many as 76 Muslim couples and 25 Hindu couples entered marital life on the occasion.

Madarsa Al Arabia Anwarul Ulooma, an Islamic religious institute in Bailhongal, 50km from Belagavi district headquarters, played host to the event that was organised by Jamia Faizan-ul-Quran and Issa Foundation, which has conducted mass marriages on a bigger scale in Gujarat.

The mass marriage comes a month after the 100-year-old Cheravally Jamaat Masjid in Kerala’s Kayamkulam in Alappuzha hosted a Hindu wedding, complete with a vegetarian feast for 4,000 people. A Hindu priest led the rituals, and the couple sought the blessings of chief imam Riyasudeen Faizy of the mosque.

At Bailhongal, moulvis and pontiffs led the marriage proceedings and asked the couples to read passages from Quran and Bhagvad Gita.

The Hindu couples were gifted a copy of the Gita, and newly-married Muslim couples received a copy of Quran. The organisers provided each Hindu bride a mangalsutra. Bailhongal MLA Mahantesh Koujalagi blessed the couples at the event, which was attended by more than 4,000 people.

Mohammad Rafique A Naik, a member of Jamia Faizan-ul-Quran, said they have gifted each couple a refrigerator, an almirah and a tailoring machine. Ranjita Kalala, a bride who married a daily-wage labourer, said her family couldn’t afford the cost of a wedding, adding, “When we learnt about the Bailhongal madrassa’s plan, we agreed to sign up because it also sends out a message of communal harmony.”

Mangaluru, Apr 19: The covid-19 being spread by the novel coronavirus has claimed a life in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada.  

The victim, a 50-year-old woman from Bantwal taluk, breathed her last at Wenlock Hospital today morning. 

She was rushed to a private hospital yesterday after she developed breathing problems. Then she was shifted to Wenlock Hospital's block for suspected coronavirus patients, and placed in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Her throat swab was collected the same day and sent for testing for coronavirus. However, today morning her condition worsened and she passed away.

The report was received on later on Sunday afternoon, which confirmed that she had contracted coronavirus.

The woman's family members including her husband, son and mother-in-law have been placed under quarantine. It is learnt that her mother-in-law's condition is serious and she has been admitted to the ICU.

The throat swabs of all the three family members have been sent for coronavirus test. According to sources, the woman's son had come from Dubai recently.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old woman from Uppinangady, who is undergoing treatment in a hospital, today tested positive for the covid-19.

With the confirmation of two new cases, the total number of reported covid-19 cases in Dakshina Kannada reached 15. Out of which only two case are currently active and 12 have been discharged. Another one passed away.