CM Kumaraswamy urges Modi to recommend late seer's name for Bharat Ratna
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recommend the name of Sivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganaga mutt for 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously.
Shivakumara Swamiji, the 111-year-old head of the Siddaganga Mutt, known as the 'Walking God', died on January 21 this year after prolonged illness.
In a letter to Modi, Kumaraswamy said Swamiji's service to the people deserves recognition at the highest level through the award of Bharat Ratna.
Several memoranda have been received from political parties and civilians, institutions and associations, for conferring the 'Bharat Ratna' on the seer, he said and urged the prime minister to recommend the seer's name for the country's highest civilian honour posthumously.
The seer was considered as the incarnation of Basavanna, the 12th century social reformer, as he accepted all irrespective of their religion or castes.
Listing his contributions, Kumaraswamy said the Shree Siddaganga Education Society, set up by the late Swamiji, has established more than 130 educational institutions, mostly in rural and semi-urban areas.
"These institutions are providing education ranging from Sanskrit studies to engineering and technology, thus making rich contribution to the educational development of the people," he said.
Shree Siddaganga Math also hosts more than 9,000 children who are provided free food, shelter and education, the chief minister added.
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No 'bacterial infection' found in bodies of 4 Mumbai family members who died after eating watermelon
Mumbai (PTI): The initial report submitted by the microbiology department of a Mumbai-based state-run hospital has said no "bacterial infection" was detected in the bodies of four family members, who died after consuming watermelon recently, officials said on Wednesday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am (on April 26), hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
After the incident, Mumbai police, forensic experts and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials visited the house and had collected samples of every food item that constituted the family's last meal, including 'chicken pulav', watermelon, water, and other foodstuffs, and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis.
After the post-mortem of the deceased, their viscera was preserved for chemical analysis.
As the probe is underway, the microbiology department of the state-run J J Hospital has submitted its initial report to the police.
"As per the report, no bacterial infection has been detected so far in the bodies of the victims. No bacteria was found in their blood," the official said.
The exact cause of the death will be known once the forensic science lab submits its report, he said.
"The report will also clarify whether any food items consumed by the family members during the day contained anything poisonous," the official said.
