Islamic organisation activists clean flood-hit temples in Chennai

Bengaluru, Feb 27: Karnataka Chief Minister and veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa turned 78 on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of leaders greeting him.

Modi hailed Yediyurappa as a "hardworking" chief minister and wished him long life and good health, while several state leaders flocked to his residence and greeted the Lingayat strongman.

"Birthday greetings to Karnataka's hardworking CM @BSYBJP Ji. He is passionately working for the state's progress, especially on farmer welfare and rural development. I pray for his long life and good health," the Prime Minister tweeted.

A large-scale "non-partisan" birthday bash will be held here later in the evening.

The felicitation function will see Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former chief minister S M Krishna besides Siddaramaiah of Congress and H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) sharing the stage.

Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda, also a former chief minister, Pralhad Joshi and Suresh Angadi will be in attendance.

BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh and state party chief Nalin Kumar Kateel are among those who will be gracing the event.

While Santosh will release a felicitation volume in Kannada with 78 articles from a cross-section of people, including politicians, writers, bureaucrats, and spiritual leaders; Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy will unveil a coffee table book and documentary respectively.

Yediyurappa, on the eve of his birthday on Wednesday, had said whatever he has achieved is a result of the people's "blessings and faith" and requested well-wishers not to bring bouquets, flowers, shawls, sweets, turbans or any souvenirs to greet him.

The birthday function organised by "Yediyurappa Abhinandana Samiti" (Yediyurappa Felicitation Committee) is being seen in some quarters as an attempt by Yediyurappa and his loyalists to send a message to the party leadership that he was still "strong".

The BJP's current dispensation under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has retired several senior party leaders who crossed the age of 75.

However, an exception was said to have been made in Yediyurappa's case after the BJP won 25 of 28 seats in the Lok Sabha election under his leadership.

In the 2018 elections, he spearheaded the campaign of the BJP which emerged as the single largest party but fell short of the majority mark following which Congress and JD(S) came to power stitching a post-poll pact.

However, the coalition collapsed in July last year, paving the way for return of Yediyurappa as Chief Minister for the fourth time.

Bengaluru, Mar 6: The Karnataka government has directed school authorities to grant leave to students and staff suffering from cold or fever in the light of renewed coronavirus (COVID -19) fears.

"If any student, teacher of staff is suffering from respiratory infections, they should be granted leave. They should be allowed to come back to school only after confirming from the doctor that they are cured. In case of a student or staff staying at hostels developing any symptoms, they should be kept in a separate room," said the government circular.

Aiming at containing the spread of coronavirus, Sriramulu said, "We have formed 1,680 isolation wards in private hospitals. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister of the situation."

However, the Health Minister said no positive case has been recorded till now in the state.

"Tests are also being conducting on passengers arriving in Karnataka and all precautionary measures are being taken," said Sriramulu about the 40,000 people thermal screened at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the city. Major private hospitals in the city have geared up to treat suspected cases.

Five Karnataka districts bordering Kerala -- Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Udupi, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru -- continue to be under surveillance after three positive coronavirus cases were reported in Kerala

The deadly virus has killed a total of 2,912 people in mainland China till Saturday, bringing the global death toll to more than 3,000, authorities said on Monday.

The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department is observing 461 people under home quarantine even as no positive coronavirus case has been reported from the state, an official said on Thursday.

"We are observing 461 people for Coronavirus symptoms at their residences, however, no positive case has emerged from Karnataka," said state Health Department's Joint Director, Communicable Diseases, Prakash Kumar.

The five people under isolated observation at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases continue to be so on Thursday as well. As many as 273 samples sent from the state for coronavirus testing reported negative.

In Karnataka, 68,717 passengers have been thermal-screened for the virus until now at Kempegowda International Airport in the city and Mangluru International Airport.

Another 5,103 passengers were also checked for the virus at Karwar and Mangluru seaports.

On Thursday, 16 people completed the mandatory 28-day observation period while a total of 225 people also underwent the same.

Karnataka is screening all international passengers and the state health department met the private sector hospitals to take stock of recent developments.

Bengaluru, May 30: Health Minister B Sriramulu banned the consumption of chewing tobacco in public places on Saturday, which is marked as World Tobacco Day. The ban would include chewing paan masala and spitting in public places.

In June 2013, the state banned the manufacture, storage, sale, or distribution of gutka and paan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use. On October 26, 2016, the state proscribed all kinds of chewing tobacco, containing tobacco or nicotine or both in accordance with the Supreme Court order.

Karnataka is the second state in India to ban e-cigarettes. The state also prohibited single cigarettes. Until September 2019, the state counselled 15,698 patients in tobacco cessation centres set up in private dental colleges.