Maharashtra Covid patient dies hours after 'dharna' with oxygen mask
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Mumbai: A 38-year-old coronavirus patient who had to sit on a protest outside the municipal corporation in Maharashtra's Nashik after allegedly being turned back by a number of hospitals died just after midnight on Thursday.
Babasaheb Kole was seen on a 'dharna', wearing an oxygen mask connected to a cylinder, last evening outside the civic body's headquarters.
After about an hour, an ambulance from the corporation took him to the municipal hospital.
According to his family, at around midnight, his oxygen level went close to 40 per cent. A normal level of oxygen is usually 95 per cent or higher.
Babasaheb died around 1 am in the night.
"Two-three days back he was taken to Bytco (Hospital). From there, he went to another hospital, from there to the government medical college. Medical College said no bed. We went to a lot of hospitals. Nobody admitted him. Then we came back to civil (hospital) and got oxygen for him and put him on it. Nobody heard us," his distraught wife told local journalists.
The police and the corporation say they have launched an investigation to find out who "instigated" the patient to picket the municipal building.
Maharashtra is struggling with a fresh wave of coronavirus infections that have pushed the state's health infrastructure to the edge in many places.
The state reported nearly 40,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, its second-highest single-day rise in infection tally since the pandemic began, a health official said.
The new wave in the state, home to the country's financial capital Mumbai, have driven a surge in India's caseload that currently stands at 1.22 crore, behind only the US and Brazil.
Maharashtra #Covid Patient Dies Hours After 'Dharna' With Oxygen Mask
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
