Udupi, Apr 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was on a temple visiting spree to atone for his sins during his rule, senior Congress leader and opposition leader in the legislative council B K Hariprasad said on Thursday.

Addressing a press meet in Udupi, Hariprasad alleged that the BJP government was steeped in corruption and malpractices during the last four years. "The Chief Minister is now doing penance for all the sins," he said.

The Congress leader charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who "did not care" to visit Chamarajanagar when 34 people died of for want of oxygen during the Covid pandemic, could find time for a wildlife safari in Bandipur recently in view of the elections.

He said a meeting of Congress ticket aspirants for Udupi seat was held and a request was made to all of them to support the official candidate. Prasad Raj Kanchan is the official nominee of the Congress in Udupi.

Hariprasad said many leaders in the BJP were now leaving the party. "The BJP does not have an agenda for the poor people and is only interested in promoting Hindutva; they want to create division among the people with their communal agenda," he charged.

Hariprasad said the third list of Congress candidates would be released within two days. Udupi candidate Kanchan and district Congress president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor were present at the press meet.

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Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.

The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.

The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.

On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.

Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.

It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.

He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.

According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.