Jan 28: Over 71K recoveries, 31,198 new COVID-19 cases, 50 deaths in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Jan 28: With 31,198 fresh cases, Karnataka's COVID-19 caseload reached 37,23,694, while 50 deaths took the death toll to 38,804, the health department said.
Fresh infections saw a dip by about 7,000 cases compared to Thursday when the number was 38,083, the department said in its bulletin.
It added that 71,092 people were discharged, taking the total number of recoveries to 33,96,093.
The positivity and case fatality rates for the day were at 20.91 per cent and 0.16 per cent, respectively.
Active cases stood at 2,88,767.
Bengaluru contributed about 50 per cent of the infections of the day with 15,199 cases. The city also reported eight deaths.
Other districts too had fresh cases including 1,877 in Mysuru, 1,500 in Dharwad, 1,315 in Tumakuru and 1,037 in Hassan.
There were zero fatalities in 11 districts.
A total of 1,49,174 samples were tested in the state including 1,06,749 RT-PCR tests on Friday, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined to 6.14 crore.
There were 1,97,361 inoculations done taking the total vaccinations to 9.47 crore, the department said.
To view today's health bulletin: CLICK HERE
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.
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'.
