BJP asks CM to apologise for linking COVID vaccines with heart attacks as expert panel rejects claim
Bengaluru(PTI): BJP on Sunday demanded an apology from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for attributing a spate of cardiac arrests in Karnataka—particularly in Hassan district—to COVID-19 vaccination, after an expert panel found no evidence to support the claim.
A panel constituted by the government concluded that there is no single cause behind the observed increase in sudden cardiac deaths. Rather, it described the phenomenon as multifactorial, with behavioural, genetic, and environmental risk factors contributing.
The BJP said the Chief Minister must issue an unconditional apology for making what it called a “baseless allegation.”
Calling Siddaramaiah’s remarks “irresponsible,” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi pointed out that premier national institutions including the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and AIIMS-Delhi have all clarified that there is no scientific evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to heart attacks.
“Siddaramaiah is deliberately making such statements because the vaccine was developed during Prime Minister Modi’s tenure,” Joshi said in Hubballi. “They assumed the pandemic would politically damage the Prime Minister—people would suffer and turn against him. But PM Modi handled COVID with sensitivity and care.”
Joshi said that because the Prime Minister was widely credited with managing the pandemic effectively, the opposition was resorting to unfounded claims.
“After ICMR, NCDC and AIIMS refuted any link between vaccines and cardiac events, now the Karnataka government’s own Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology—a reputed institution not just in the state but across India—has also found no correlation,” Joshi said.
He noted that the committee, led by Dr. Ravindranath, Director of the Jayadeva Institute, was set up by Siddaramaiah himself to examine any possible link between COVID vaccination and cardiac deaths. “The panel has clearly stated that COVID vaccines are not the cause of heart attacks. Will Siddaramaiah apologise now? I strongly condemn his statement,” Joshi added.
BJP spokesperson Dr CN Ashwath Narayan also criticised Siddaramaiah, alleging that his statement was aimed at discrediting Indian-made vaccines and undermining the Prime Minister.
“He questioned the efficacy of a vaccine that saved millions of lives, without citing any scientific basis. Chief minister should apologise to the people of the state for spreading misinformation,” Narayan said.
The observational study conducted at Jayadeva Institute found no association between premature cardiovascular disease and prior COVID-19 infection or vaccination.
“Most global studies and reports did not find any causal link between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden cardiac events. On the contrary, vaccination has been shown to offer long-term protection against cardiac issues,” the panel noted.
Recently, Siddaramaiah had suggested that a spate of heart attack deaths in Hassan district could be linked to the COVID-19 vaccination drive. He had also claimed that the vaccines were “hastily” approved.
His comments drew strong criticism from Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
