"Only God Can Save Us From Coronavirus": Health Minister B Sriramulu
Courtesy: NDTV
Bengaluru: As India's coronavirus tally continues to surge, the health minister in Karnataka - which has logged over 47,000 patients so far - on Wednesday said that "only god can help save us" from the highly contagious illness. B Sriramulu's remarks came as Karnataka replaced Gujarat as the fourth-worst affected state in the country after Maharashtra (2.75 lakh cases), Tamil Nadu (1.51 lakh cases) and Delhi (1.16 lakh cases).
"Worldwide the number of coronavirus cases is increasing. All of us should be alert. Whether you are a member of the ruling party or in the opposition, rich or poor... the virus doesn't discriminate," the 48-year-old BJP leader told reporters.
"The cases (in the state), I am sure 100 per cent, will only go up in the next two months. One can keep claiming that it's because of government negligence or irresponsibility of ministers or that cases are up because of a lack of coordination among the ministers. All of these allegations are far from the truth. Only God can save us from Corona," he added.
In the last 24 hours, Karnataka was among the five states in the country that reported the highest number of new infections, the government said this morning.
It recorded 3,176 new patients and 86 deaths linked to the illness taking its tally to 47,253 total cases; a total of 928 patients have died due to illness so far.
A week-long lockdown began on Tuesday night in the state capital Bengaluru, where a sharp spike has been recorded recently, to break the chain of transmission. Fresh curbs have also been announced in Dharwad, Mangalore and adjoining areas.
On Monday, the state government decided that priority would be given to rapid antigen tests, which began in the state over the weekend. The district authorities were advised to use these test kits wisely, mainly for emergency cases where a quick result is essential. One lakh test kits have been bought and distributed in the districts.
Across India, over 9.68 lakh cases have been recorded since the beginning of the pandemic; 32,000 new patients were recorded in the last 24 hours in the country's biggest single-day surge.
While, the government has eased restrictions as a part of "Unlock2", several states, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are imposing restrictions again to check the spread of the highly infectious virus.
Worldwide, the situation is quite similar as nations reimpose lockdowns to curb the spike in cases.
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Regret participating in 'movement' that vilified ex-PM Manmohan Singh: Prashant Bhushan
New Delhi: Senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan has expressed regret over his past role in political movements that, he said, contributed to the vilification of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Bhushan made the remarks in a post on social media on the first death anniversary of Manmohan Singh.
In his post, Bhushan described Manmohan Singh as “a humble, decent, well educated and well meaning man,” adding that the former prime minister’s humility and decency were “seen as a weakness.” He said he regretted having participated in a movement that helped discredit Singh and, in his words, “helped a rogue regime come to power.”
Bhushan’s statement is widely seen as a reference to the anti-corruption movement that gained momentum during the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister. The movement, led by civil society activists, had targeted corruption allegations against the government and eventually reshaped India’s political landscape. Critics have since argued that the campaign contributed to undermining Singh’s leadership and paved the way for a change in government at the Centre.
Manmohan Singh, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, was known for his low-profile style, technocratic approach and role in shaping India’s economic reforms.
He was a humble, decent, well educated & well meaning man. His humility & decency was seen as a weakness.
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 26, 2025
I regret having participated in a movement that vilified him & helped a rogue regime come to power pic.twitter.com/6JWOrdCZdE
