VHP leader justifies murder of innocent Muslim; urges Hindus to support killers

Bengaluru, Apr 5: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday said the state government will double down for 100% compliance to the lockdown in the next 10 days, warning action against those found roaming the streets.

Dismissing reports of a shortage of ventilators, he said the state was bringing in reinforcements over the next few days and expressed relief that none of the Covid-19 patients of the state has required a ventilator so far.

"None of the Covid-19 patients are on ventilators; two of them require oxygen," Yediyurappa told reporters after he met ministers and MLAs of Bengaluru and apprised them of steps taken to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The CM said the government had placed orders for 1,570 ventilators, of which 17 have been supplied and another 20 would arrive by next week. The government has also ordered 18.3 lakh N-95 masks, of which more than 4 lakh have been supplied. To ensure a steady supply of hand sanitiser, manufacturing licences have been issued to 36 pharma companies and 29 distilleries.

While the state readies the medical infrastructure, the CM urged the legislators, cutting across party lines, to ensure full compliance to the lockdown. "If people fail to cooperate with the government and respect the nationwide lockdown, there will be no option but to enforce it in a more stringent manner from Sunday," he said.

As people continue to crowd markets amid growing fears of a shortage of essentials, the CM reiterated that all measures have been put in place to get the supply chain moving. 

He also assured that food will be provided to migrant workers and the poor. "There is enough stock of foodgrains and medicine in the state. The government has set a taskforce of ministers, 17 committees under additional chief secretaries, several helplines and a war room to fight the pandemic and they are all working round the clock," he said. 

The government has also issued direction to authorities to provide rations to those who do not have BPL or APL cards. Since many people from other states have settled in Bengaluru and they don't have ration cards, we have taken this decision," Yediyurappa said.

On reports of many private hospitals being closed and refusing to treat patients, the CM said: "We have already warned private hospitals to remain open and provide treatment to patients failing which strict action will be initiated."

Kisan Nidhi, 2 months' pension by April 10
The CM said an installment of Rs 2,000 under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and two months' pension under the various social security schemes will be credited to bank accounts of beneficiaries by April 10. 

The process of crediting subsidy to 15 lakh beneficiaries under Ujjwala Yojana is on, he said.

Bengaluru, Apr 25: Bajrang Dal's former Karantaka satate convenor Mahendra Kumar, who dedicated last decade of his life to expose the misdeeds and lies of Sangh Parivar, passed away today due to cardiac arrest here. He was 47 years old.

Kumar was undergoing treatment at Ramaiah hospital Bengaluru where he breathed his last today (April 25) morning. His final rites will be held in his hometown, sources said.

Kumar, who hailed from Koppa in Chikkamagaluru was a resident of Bengaluru.

He had reportedly involved in the 2008 attacks on Christians' places of worship in Mangaluru and Chikkamagaluru and had faced arrest for that. 

However, he quit Bajrang Dal same year and the apologized to Christians. He joined Janata Dal (Secular) in 2011.

After quitting Bajrang Dal and adopting left ideology, he openly attacked the ideology of right-wing outfits. 

He founded Jana Dhwani movement as a voice for the oppressed classes of the state. He used social media to attack the "manuvaad" for past one decade.

Bengaluru, Mar 24: Eight new positive coronavirus cases were confirmed in Karnataka on Tuesday, taking the tally to 41 in the state, the health department said.

"Till date 41 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state which includes one death and 3 discharged," the department said.

According the department bulletin, 37 positive patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and their condition is stable.

Of the 41 confirmed cases, six are transit passengers hailing from Kerala who have landed in airports and being treated in Karnataka.

Among the eight passengers confirmed on Tuesday also three men and a woman are from Kasaragod in Kerala with a history of travel to Dubai and Saudi Arabia respectively.

All the four had landed in Mangaluru, where they are being treated.

The others are: two men, aged 40 and 65, from Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka with travel history to Dubai;

a 56-year-old woman, a resident of Chikkaballapura district, who is a family member and co-passenger of person who tested postive with travel history to Mecca, and a 56-year-old woman, resident of Bengaluru, a contact of another person who has tested positive for the virus,

Among the 41 cases, 24 has been reported from Bengaluru, five from Dakshina Kannada, three each from Kalaburgai and Chikkaballapura, two each from Mysuru and Uttara Kannada, and one each from Kodagu and Dharwad.

All the three discharged patients are from Bengaluru, while one death was reported in Kalaburagi earlier this month, which was the country's first COVID-19 related death.