Udupi, Jul 23: A special prayer service was held at the Mother of Sorrows Church in Udupi on Friday for the recovery of Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, who is under treatment at a private hospital here following a head injury.

Udupi diocese bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo conducted the prayer service.

Addressing the gathering, former minister Vinay Kumaar Sorake said doctors are providing the best treatment to Frenandes.

He had the opportunity to serve at the national level for a very long period.Though the doctors are putting their efforts, prayers are also needed at this juncture, he said.

"We have offered prayers in mosques, church and also in temples. Let us pray for his speedy recovery," he added.

Prayers were also held at various religious centres in Udupi.

Special prayers were held in St Francis Xavier Church Udyavar, Polipu Jamia Masjid, Kapu Janardhan Temple and Sri Vishwanath Kshetra.

The 80-year-old leader was hospitalised after suffering a fall while practicing yoga at his apartment in the city on Sunday.

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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.