Karnataka govt requests Centre to set up Covid-19 Care Centers with the assistance of DRDO
Bengaluru, May 18: The Karnataka government has urged the Centre to consider setting up Covid Care Centers in the state with the help of the Ministry of Defence or Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
In a a letter to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi said the Department of Defence has a large land bank in Bengaluru and Belagavi, which is suitable for the said cause.
Referring to DRDO's initiative in setting up exclusive COVID hospitals and medical centers in Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi and Ahmedabad, he said due to a surge in coronavirus cases in Karnataka, hospitals here are facing tremendous pressure and overloaded.
Setting up of such covid treatment centers in Bengaluru and Belagavi will not only help patients in the region but will further ease the pressure on existing hospitals and medical professionals, Savadi noted and requested the Defence Minister to kindly consider it on priority basis.
Karnataka on Monday registered 38,603 new cases of COVID-19 and 476 fatalities, taking the total infection count to 22.42 lakh and the toll to 22,313.
Out of the 38,603 fresh cases reported, 13,338 were from Bengaluru Urban alone.
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Those who spread Hindu-Muslim enmity can't be Hindu: Uddhav Thackeray
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray launched a strong attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that those who incite communal disharmony cannot be considered Hindus. He emphasised that his party's 'Hindutva' is "clean" and challenged the BJP-led Centre to conduct elections using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Addressing a public gathering on the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav criticised the BJP for allegedly fostering divisive politics. "If you have any shame, keep EVMs aside and hold elections using ballot papers. Our Hindutva does not promote enmity," he remarked.
The statement comes against the backdrop of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, where Shiv Sena (UBT) faced a significant setback, winning only 20 seats, while the BJP-led Mahayuti secured a landslide victory with 235 seats.
Opposition parties, including those in the INDIA bloc, have raised concerns over the transparency of EVMs, demanding a return to ballot papers. However, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar recently dismissed this idea, calling it "unwarranted and regressive." Similarly, the Delhi High Court upheld the use of EVMs, rejecting a petition that sought constituency-specific justifications for their use.
