Feb 3: Daily COVID-19 cases dip to 16,436 in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Feb 3: Karnataka on Thursday registered a decline in daily coronavirus infections, as the state reported 16,436 new cases and 60 fatalities, taking the tally to 38.60 lakh and toll to 39,197.
The state on Wednesday had reported 20,505 fresh infections.
There were 44,819 discharges today, taking the total number of recoveries to 36,72,744, a health bulletin said.
Of the new cases, 6,640 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 27,570 people being discharged and 14 virus-related deaths.
The total number of active cases across the state is now 1,48,800.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 11.31 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.36 per cent.
Of the 60 deaths, 14 are from Bengaluru Urban; Dakshina Kannada, Mandya and Mysuru 5, Belagavi, Chikkaballapura and Haveri 3, Chamarajnagara, Kalaburagi, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Yadgir 2, followed by others.
After Bengaluru Urban, Belagavi recorded the second highest number of cases with 1,508, Mysuru 706, Shivamogga 701, Tumkuru 572, Uttara Kannada 567, Dharwad 535, followed by others.
Bengaluru Urban district now has a total of 17,43,065 cases, Mysuru 2,24,662 and Tumakuru 1,56,476.
Cumulatively, a total of 6.23 crore samples have been tested, of which 1,45,204 were on Thursday alone.
To view today's health bulletin: CLICK HERE
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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'.
