Sakleshpur: A forest guard who had been admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru after he suffered burn injuries in a forest fire in the Western Ghat region of the taluk died on Saturday at the hospital.

The forest guard, Sundaresh, a resident of Theerthahalli, had sustained critical burn injuries during a fire incident in the forests of Moorkannu Gudda on Thursday afternoon. His colleagues from the Forest Department Manjunath, Thungesh, and Mahesh had also sustained injuries in the mishap.

The injured officials were taken to a local hospital for first aid before being admitted to the district hospital for further treatment. Sundaresh and Manjunath were shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru looking at the extent of their injuries.

Sundaresh, however, failed to respond to the treatment and died at the Bengaluru hospital.

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Thanjavur (PTI): AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami lashed out at the DMK government over fund flow to the state and remarked how it could be possible for the state to get funds when it intentionally confronted the central government.

Addressing a joint poll campaign with AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran, a constituent of the AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami on Saturday said political parties could have differences or criticise each other during elections but after the polls, the elected government should serve the people who voted them to power.

"How can TN get funds if the state government intentionally criticises the BJP? The DMK could not get funds when it shared power with the Congress at the Centre. Now it criticises the BJP, after failing to maintain harmonious ties with the Centre," the former chief minister said.

The DMK government could have obtained the funds required for the people had it maintained a cordial relationship with the Centre, he said.

But during the last five years of its rule, it had only denied the people the benefits they deserved, the AIADMK general secretary alleged.

"During the then Congress-led UPA regime, a DMK minister involved in the 2 G spectrum scam was jailed and another person who is now criticising me has also been in Tihar jail. She has no qualification to criticise me," he said and reminded that the 2 G spectrum case was still pending.

"The DMK is synonymous with scams. DMK is corruption and corruption is DMK, both are inseparable," Palaniswami alleged.

He flayed the DMK's alleged double standards on protecting the rights and interests of Tamil Nadu as it took up a joint poll campaign with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who had stated that Karnataka would go ahead with the balancing reservoir project at Mekedatu.

Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project as it would affect the agriculture prospects in the state.

Dhinakaran, who addressed from atop the campaign vehicle, flanked by Palaniswami, said like "brothers", the two were garnering votes for the NDA candidates' victory.

He appealed to the people to oust the "evil DMK".