Shobha leads protest against arrest of angry Simha who drove through barricades

Bengaluru, Jan 25: The local police will provide security for Sri Nijagunananda Swami and his Kittur Nishkal Mantapa Mutt following a letter containing a threat to his life that was received on Friday.

The letter, containing the names of 15 liberal thinkers and activists, was circulated widely on social media and shown on some Kannada TV channels. The letter is addressed to the seer, and it condemns his lectures where he speaks in favour of liberal values.

“The decision to eliminate you will be taken on January 21. You will be eliminated, along with 15 of your followers and people who think like you,” the letter said. 

Among those threatened are Nidumamidi Channammalla Swami, Jnyana Prakash Swami, the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, actors Prakash Raj and Chetan Kumar, writer Chandrashekar Patil, Brinda Karat of the CPI(M) and writer K.S. Bhagavan.

It is not the first time that the seer is getting such threats. Two years ago, Belagavi Police had provided security to the seer following threats to his life. Last year, he got a phone call from a person from Shivamogga district. But the seer did not bother to complain.

This time, the district police will seek a written complaint from the seer. “We will assess the threat perception and the security levels. Adequate security will be provided,” the police said.

The seer is now camping in Jewargi in Kalaburagi district. “We have intimated the Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police of the need for immediate security arrangements. We will take steps to provide adequate security to him once he arrives in Belagavi district,” Superintendent of Police Lakshman Nimbaragi said.

Bengaluru, Jul 1: Eighteen private hospitals here have been slapped with a show-cause notice after a 52-year old patient with influenza-like illness symptoms died here on being allegedly denied admission by them citing "non- availability" of beds. 

Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesdy said refusal to provide treatment was not only inhuman but also illegal as he tagged a copy of the notice in a tweet. 

"Notice has been served to the hospitals taking cognisance of the (media) reports about the denial of admission to a patient in emergency. Denying medical assistance during emergency is not only inhuman but also illegal," he tweeted. According to a report, the son and nephew of the patient took him to the 18 hospitals on Saturday and Sunday but he was not admitted on the pretext of non-availability of beds or ventilators. 

The man died later. The Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare issued the show-cause notice to the top authorities of the hospitals under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment (KPME) Act, 2007. 

"By denying admission to the patient, your hospitals have violated the provisions of the KPME Act. You are liable for legal action," the notice said, seeking replies within 24 hours as to why action should not be against the hospitals. 

This was a "clear violation" of providing medical assistance and admission necessitated under the agreed provision of the KPME registration. Private medical establishments cannot refuse or avoid treatment to patients suffering from COVID-19 or having symptoms, the common notice added. 

The incident comes in the backdop of repeated instructions by the government that hospitals cannot deny admission to the patients suffering from coronavirus or having symptoms.