Saudi Arabia announces readiness for Hajj rituals
Riyadh, Aug 19 : The Saudi government on Sunday announced its full readiness for the Hajj season starting on Sunday.
More than two million pilgrims will mark the Day of Tarwiyah, the first Hajj ritual, in Mina, a neighbourhood of the holiest Islamic city of Mecca, Xinhua reported.
Afterwards, pilgrims will leave Mina at dawn on Monday for Arafat to mark the Day of Arafat, the most important Hajj ritual.
To ensure the safety of pilgrims, a comprehensive security and safety plan has been set up to transport people between ritual sites.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Health Ministry announced a plan to protect pilgrims with the allocations of 25 hospitals and 155 health centres at all sites, with a capacity of 5,000 beds, 180 ambulances and 100 vehicles converted into mobile medical units.
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PM Modi to campaign in Bengaluru and Chikkaballapura today
Bengaluru (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bengaluru and neighbouring Chikkaballapura district for the Lok Sabha poll campaign on Saturday.
He will address mega rallies both in Bengaluru and Chikkaballapura.
Modi held mega rallies in Kalaburagi and Shivamogga last month. On April 14, he addressed a rally in Mysuru, during which he shared the dais with JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, and later held a roadshow in Mangaluru.
According to the state BJP, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address a mega public meeting at Chokkahalli village in Chikkaballapura district at 2 PM, covering Chikkballapur and Kolar Lok Sabha constituencies, and later at 4 PM he will participate in a massive rally in Bengaluru's palace ground, covering Bangalore North, Bangalore South, Bangalore Central and Bangalore Rural segments.
Bangalore -North, South and Central have been BJP's bastions, while Rural is represented by Congress' D K Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
Former Minister K Sudhakar is the BJP candidate from Chikkballapur, its alliance partner JD(S) has fielded M Mallesh Babu from Kolar Lok Sabha segment.
BJP's sitting MPs Tejasvi Surya and P C Mohan are candidates from Bangalore South and Central respectively. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje is in the fray from Bangalore North. In Bangalore Rural Deve Gowda's son-in-law and eminent cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath is contesting on a BJP ticket as per the arrangement with alliance partner JD(S).
Karnataka is going for polls in two phases. While14 Lok Sabha segments in the southern part of the state are going for election on April 26, in the second phase voting for the northern districts will be held on May 7.
