Siddaramaiah Orders Probe Into Hassan Heart Attack Deaths, Hints At Covid Vaccine Link
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah formed a committee led by Dr. Ravindranath to investigate the rise in heart attack deaths in Hassan, including possible COVID vaccine side effects.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the state government is taking the surge in heart attack deaths in the state 'very seriously".
'The government has taken very seriously the matter of more than twenty people in Hassan district alone succumbing to heart attacks. To identify the exact cause of these series of deaths and to find remedial measures, a committee of experts has been formed," the Karnataka Chief Minister said in a post on X.
He further added that the panel will be led by Dr. Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, who will submit the study report in 10 days.
The Chief Minister said the panel will look into reasons for sudden deaths and youth and also study side effects of the COVID vaccine if any. 'What are the reasons for the sudden deaths of young people and youth in the state? Could there be any side effects of the COVID vaccine? A comprehensive study was ordered to this same committee as early as February to investigate these questions. In this regard, the examination and analysis of heart patients are also in progress," he said.
Karnataka's Hassan district is grappling with an alarming surge in heart attack fatalities, with Monday's three deaths bringing the total to 21 in just 40 days. Particularly concerning is that a significant number of the deceased are young adults.
Those who died on Monday were Lepakshi, 50, from JP Nagar in Belur town, who collapsed suddenly after complaining of fatigue; Professor Muttayya, 58, an English professor in Holenarasipura, who suffered a fatal heart attack while having tea; and Kumar, 57, a D-Group employee in Channarayapattana, who succumbed to cardiac arrest after being hospitalised with chest pain on Sunday.
said: 'We wanted to find out exactly what's going on. We took an initial look at the situation, and since there were about 18 cases in one month – some of them younger individuals – we felt it was necessary to get a proper scientific analysis done".
He said the high number of deaths in one district alone, all reportedly due to heart attacks, was alarming. 'What makes this case particularly concerning is that all of them are from the same district – Hassan. We've asked the team of experts to go there, examine the causes of all the deaths and also check if similar cases are being reported in other districts. We have to see if the ratio is similar or if these cases from Hassan are unique," he further added.
' We are keeping a close watch on heart attack cases, especially among the 18-40 age group, which is why the numbers look high. It's not only happening here, but we are logging every heart-related issue or death and monitoring it closely," Hassan MP Shreyas Patel told News18.
BJP Claps Back
BJP leader R. Ashoka has strongly criticised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for suggesting that side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine may be among the factors behind a surge in heart attack deaths in the state's Hassan district. In a sharp response posted on X, Ashoka called the CM's remarks 'dangerous" and 'irresponsible," accusing the Congress government of deflecting blame instead of acting decisively.
ಹಾಸನ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಸಂಭವಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಹಠಾತ್ ಹೃದಯಾಘಾತಗಳಿಂದ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಅಮೂಲ್ಯ ಯುವ ಜೀವಗಳು ಬಲಿಯಾಗಿರುವುದು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುಃಖದ ವಿಷಯ ಮತ್ತು ಆತಂಕಕಾರಿ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆ. ಆದರೆ ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಆತಂಕಕಾರಿ ಸಂಗತಿ ಎಂದರೆ, ಈ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಬೇಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂವೇದನಾ ರಹಿತ ಸ್ಪಂದನೆ.ಜನ… https://t.co/P18OxdPHzN
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) July 1, 2025
'It is deeply unfortunate that even as over twenty lives have been lost to sudden heart attacks in just one district alone, the Congress government is more interested in deflecting blame than in taking responsibility," he said, referring to the ongoing deaths in Hassan, where 21 people have died of cardiac arrests in the past 40 days.
Ashoka, however, questioned the motive behind raising the vaccine angle, stating, 'The COVID vaccine was not a BJP vaccine; it was India's vaccine. Developed by our scientists, approved by regulators, and backed by data across countries." He added that the move to cast doubts on vaccination was 'both anti-science and anti-people."
The BJP also demanded transparency, asking the Congress government to publish real data on cardiac-related deaths, vaccine records, and rural health infrastructure. 'This is not leadership. This is cowardice," Ashoka said.
tags :
BJP heart-attack karnataka
Location :
Bengaluru, India, India
First Published:
July 01, 2025, 17:47 IST
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