I was falsely projected as anti-Hindu in 2018, says Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress veteran and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said "false propaganda" that he was anti-Hindu took centrestage during the 2018 Assembly elections and denied he was against the majority faith as projected by the BJP.
In an interview to PTI Video, the excerpts of which were released on Monday, he further said there was nothing wrong in state Congress President DK Shivakumar also aspiring for the chief minister's post in the event of the party winning the May 10 Assembly polls, as "healthy competition" was fine.
"See, if there is healthy competition there is nothing wrong. If Dk Shivakumar wants to become CM and he is an aspirant there is nothing wrong. If I become an aspirant for the CM post there is nothing wrong. Ultimately newly elected MLAs will decide and the high command will take a decision," on the top post, he said.
Asserting that the people of Karnataka want to show the door to the ruling BJP, Siddaramaiah said the saffron organisation cannot "mislead" the voters like it did five years ago.
"In 2013, there was a clear mandate from the people for the Congress party. We had done good work during our tenure between 2013 and 2018 (when he was CM). The false propaganda had taken upper hand because they made allegations against me that I am against majority communites, against upper class and like that and that I am against Hindutva/Hindu dharma."
"Like that they have projected but it is not true. This time, the people will not believe their propaganda because they know there is no truth in their allegation. That is why, this time they (BJP) are not talking much about Hindutva/Hindu Rasthra or Hindu dharma because with money power they wanted to win this time. But it is not possible," he added. He claimed the BJP was able to swing the mandate in its favour in the 2018 polls through false propaganda.
To a question, he said "caste is not an important factor in the elections."
"Issues are important. Now the issues are corruption, price rise, unemployment...like that there are so many issues. People of Karnataka will not consider caste," he insisted.
Asked if the May 10 election will be a battle between himself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he replied in the negative.
"It is not a fight between myself and Modi and that issue will not be discussed in the coming assembly election. The issues will be the local issues concerning the people of Karnataka and it is an election to the state legistature, not the Parliament. Therefore the people of Karnataka will discuss local issues," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru: A new health report has revealed that over 75% of Karnataka's population screened in 2024 is either obese or overweight, highlighting an alarming rise in lifestyle-related health issues.
According to the Health of the Nation 2025 report by Apollo Hospitals, as cited by The New Indian Express on Tuesday, 56% of those screened were diagnosed as obese, while another 21% were classified as overweight.
The report underscores a growing public health crisis, driven by sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and undiagnosed chronic conditions that often do not show visible symptoms. The annual report, which examined health data from over 2.5 million preventive screenings conducted across the Apollo ecosystem in India, reveals that symptom-based healthcare is increasingly insufficient to address these hidden health risks.
In Karnataka, the report found that 28% of the individuals screened were hypertensive, with half of them classified as pre-hypertensive. Diabetes was found in 20% of the population, with an additional 25% falling into the pre-diabetic category. These figures reflect the rising metabolic stress among asymptomatic individuals, many of whom are unaware of their conditions.
Additionally, the report noted that 84% of the screened individuals in the state had low vitamin D levels, which can negatively impact bone health and immunity. Furthermore, 64% exhibited reduced flexibility, affecting musculoskeletal wellness.
Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, emphasised the need for India to shift towards a preventive health culture. "Early screening, personalised interventions, and health education should become integral to our homes, schools, and workplaces," TNIE quoted him as saying.
The report also highlighted several other health threats, including fatty liver disease, post-menopause health risks, and childhood obesity. Of the 2.5 million people screened nationally, 65% had fatty liver with 85% of those cases being non-alcoholic. Heart disease signs were present in 46% of asymptomatic individuals, while post-menopausal women saw a sharp increase in both obesity (from 76% to 86%) and diabetes (from 14% to 40%).
Childhood obesity is also becoming a significant concern, with the report revealing that 28% of college students were either overweight or obese, and 19% showed signs of prehypertension.
Mental health issues, often under-reported, emerged as another area of concern, with 7% of women and 5% of men screened nationwide showing symptoms of clinical depression, particularly among the middle-aged population.
