‘Sharath Amar Rahe’: Slain RSS activist laid to rest amidst tears, encomiums

Bengaluru, Mar 14: Bus-stands and railway stations in this IT city wore a deserted look on Saturday and malls, cinemas, pubs and night clubs remained shut as part of the lockdown announced by the state government following the country's first coronavirus fatality reported from Karnataka on March 12.

Six people in Karnataka have contracted the virus including the 76-year-old man who died due to this disease from Kalaburagi in the state.

A day after chief minister B S Yediyurappa announced the shutdown for a week, the usual rush at the Central bus-stand was missing.

"Since yesterday there is slackness. Today again we are witnessing the same," a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation official told PTI.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, which runs inter-city and inter-state buses, too has seen a decline in its revenue.

"For the past five to six days we are seeing a drop of Rs 32 lakh to Rs 35 lakh in our daily revenue of Rs eight crore," Bengaluru divisional controller B T Prabhakar Reddy said.

On March 13, Yediyurappa issued instructions to stop all kinds of exhibitions, summer camps, conferences, fairs, marriage, sports and engagement events and birthday parties state-wide for a week from Saturday.

Business at pubs and aars have taken a hit due to the virus threat.

"Our businesses have suffered somewhere between 40 per cent and 70 per cent.

It is very difficult to cope with the situation," said Manu Chandra, Bengaluru chapter head of National Restaurant Association of India.

In Chitradurga district, the annual Rathayatra was cancelled whereas in Bengaluru, a temple displayed a board that it will not distribute any 'teertha' (holy water) or 'prasad' (offering) to devotees in view of the coronavirus scare.

Mangaluru, Apr 4: The mother and grandmother of the 10-month-old baby boy, under treatment at a private hospital in Deralakatte here for COVID-19 infection, tested negative.

Doctors at the hospital said the condition of the infant, who was admitted with an acute respiratory infection, was stable and there had been a good response to the treatment being given in isolation.

The child, hailing from Sajipanadu Village in Bantwal Taluk was admitted to a hospital at Deralakatte in Mangaluru for treatment on March 23 as it had developed respiratory problems. 

On March 24, the child’s condition worsened and hence his throat swabs was sent for COVID-19 testing. On March 27, reports of the tests confirmed that the child was infected with COVID-19.

Health authorities are of the view that the baby might have contracted the disease when the family travelled recently to Kasaragod in Kerala, a district identified as a hotspot for Coronavirus.

Hubballi, Jan 30: Seeking to disabuse people of the notion that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), recently passed by the BJP-led central government threatened the legitimacy of Muslims in the country, yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Wednesday said that he would among the first to take to the streets should the community face any such trouble. “If the National Register of Citizens (NRC) threatens injustice to Indian Muslims, it I not just I, but a billion Indians will protest against its implementation,” he added.

Recalling his longstanding association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramdev said, “I have known Modi for more than 15 years, and I can assure you that he cannot be called anti-Muslim. There is nothing in the CAA that threatens the rights of Muslims, some of whom are being misled by a few.”

The yoga guru said that, while 99% of the Muslims in India were patriotic, the remaining ones were seeking to divide the country, which he said was resulting in Islam falling into disgrace. “I appeal to all Muslims to keep away from such anti-national forces seeking to bring a bad name to Islam,” said Ramdev, calling on the people to stay united in the face of the severe economic crisis that the country was presently in the grips of.

He added that he was as committed to his goal of getting black money back to India. However, when quizzed by journalists as to how long he was willing to wait for PM Modi to realise this objective, Ramdev said, “Chodi, mere aur Modi ke beech jagada mat lao (Please do not incite a fight between Modi and me).”

The yoga guru also endorsed the decision of the Centre to recognise singer Adnan Sami with a Padma award.