Threat to PM at all-time high, even ministers need clearance to meet him
NEW DELHI: Sending out a warning to states about an "all-time high" threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the home ministry has put out rules in which no one can come too close to PM Modi, not even ministers and officers, if not cleared by his special security. The home ministry has written to all state police chiefs about an "unknown threat" to the PM.
PM Modi "is the most valuable target in the run-up to the 2019 general elections," the National Security Council has told various agencies tasked with the Prime Minister's safety.
"The threat always has been there but after this Naxal threat we have made each agency aware of the new threats to the PM," a senior officer told NDTV, referring to the Pune police claim that a plot to assassinate PM Modi in a "Rajiv Gandhi-type incident" during one of his roadshows had been revealed in a letter seized from a suspected Maoist.
Sources say PM Modi, who is the main campaigner for the ruling BJP in the lead-up to state elections and the 2019 polls, has been advised to cut down on road shows as planned routes present a bigger threat.
No one is allowed to be in close quarters with the PM, which is the basic rule to be followed strictly, according to top sources.
Even ministers and officers are likely to be screened by the Special Protection Group (SPG), which is in charge of protecting the Prime Minister.
"We have briefed our personnel about the new assessments and have given them a new set of rules to be followed," explained an officer, conceding, however, that the SPG rule book and arrangements have been fool-proof for more than 25 years now.
"Special instructions have been given to the close protection team (CPT) around the PM. No one can be in close proximity of the PM if not needed," he adds. This team always moves with the Prime Minister.
Public contact needs to be reduced further, believes the home ministry.
Last month, a man was able to break through six layers of security to touch PM Modi's feet in West Bengal. Sources say the number of tactical team commandos travelling with the PM will be increased.
"We can't give him instructions but we have requested him to be little careful regarding his public engagements," says the officer.
This may be a tough call in the run-up to 2019 as PM Modi is expected to address several rallies.
The home ministry has also marked areas of concern and has asked Maoist-hit states to be more careful. "The PM travels to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal even Punjab. These are to be taken more seriously than others," adds a source.
Security agencies are believed to be specially monitoring the Kerala-based Popular Front of India (PFI), an outfit that the government believes is a front for terror groups.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
