42,470 COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Jan 22: Karnataka on Saturday reported a substantial dip in its COVID-19 upsurge with 42,470 fresh infections, which was about 5,500 cases less than Friday's tally, the health department said.
However, the fatalities increased from 22 on Friday to 26 today, taking the death toll due to 38,563, the health department said.
The state had recorded 48,049 fresh infections on Friday.
In its bulletin, the department said 35,140 people were discharged, pushing the total number of recoveries to 30,98,432. Active cases stood at 3,30,447.
The dip in cases was due to reduction in infections in Bengaluru urban to 17,266 from 29,068 on Friday.
Other districts reported fresh cases including 4,601 in Mysuru, 3,417 in Tumakuru, 2,679 in Hassan, 1,822 in Mandya, 1,417 in Kolar and 958 in Bengaluru Rural district.
There were zero fatalities in 17 districts.
The positivity and case fatality rates for the day were at 19.33 per cent and 0.06 per cent, respectively.
A total of 2,19,699 samples were tested in the state including 1,70,637 RT-PCR tests on Saturday, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined to 6.33 crore.
There were 1,79,816 inoculations done, taking the total vaccinations so far to 9.31 crore, the department said.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
