Karnataka reports 413 infections and two fatalities
Bengaluru, Feb 21: Karnataka on Sunday clocked 413 fresh coronavirus infections and two deaths, taking the total caseload and fatalities to 9,48,149 and 12,294 respectively, the health department said.
According to a health bulletin, so far 9,29,800 people, including 353 on Sunday, had been discharged.
There were 6,036 active cases in the state which includes 127 in intensive care units, the department said.
More than half of the fresh cases were contributed by Bengaluru Urban district, which reported 248 infections besides both the fatalities.
Cumulatively, the city has reported 4,03,762 infections, 4,451 deaths, 3,94,995 discharges, including 206 on Sunday. It has 4,315 active cases.
According to the bulletin, as many as 24 infections were reported in Mysuru, 23 in Kalaburagi, 15 in Belagavi, 11 in Dakshina Kannada and 10 in Vijayapura, while five districts were free of new cases and deaths.
A total of 55,234 tests, including 51,503 RT-PCR, were done on Sunday, taking overall tests to 1.83 crore, the bulletin added.
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Kerala CM Vijayan urges PM Modi to withdraw FCRA amendment provisions
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed concerns over certain provisions in the proposed FCRA Bill and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to withdraw them.
In a letter to Modi, Vijayan said the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, has sparked concern among various sections of society, particularly minority communities.
A copy of the letter, sent on Sunday, was shared on his Facebook page on Monday.
In the letter, Vijayan noted that a perusal of the bill’s clauses indicates that powers have been granted to authorities to take over assets even for technical omissions.
“The apprehension is that granting such sweeping powers to authorities could lead to arbitrary exercise, and such concerns cannot be dismissed as baseless,” he said.
The chief minister pointed out that the existing law already provides sufficient powers to deal with misuse by entities permitted to receive foreign contributions.
He further said the amendment proposes enabling the takeover of assets, including places of worship and charitable organisations, even in cases involving technical issues such as violations of time limits.
Vijayan warned that the provisions could adversely affect institutions engaged in selfless service in areas such as education, healthcare, and the welfare of the poor and marginalised, even in the absence of significant lapses.
Stating that the issue has triggered concerns among religious groups and minority communities, the CM urged the prime minister to intervene in the matter at the earliest.
He also urged the PM to take steps to withdraw the provisions related to the takeover of assets in the amendment bill, noting that the existing Act has adequate safeguards to address violations.
The chief minister wrote to Modi at a time when reports about the proposed provisions in the FCRA Bill had triggered widespread reactions among political parties and various church denominations in poll-bound Kerala.
