Will protect minorities, their properties in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata(PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said Muslims were aggrieved because of the enactment of the Waqf (Amendment) Act and assured the minority community members that she would protect them and their properties in the state.
Addressing a programme of the Jain community here, Banerjee asserted that she will not allow "any divide and rule policy" to persist in the state.
"I know you are aggrieved because of the enactment of the Waqf Act. Have faith, nothing will happen in Bengal by which one can divide and rule. You send out a message that all have to stay together," she said.
Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, appealed to the people not to pay heed to those who provoke them to launch a political movement.
Apparently referring to the violence over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Murshidabad district on Tuesday, she said, "See the situation in the bordering areas of Bangladesh. This (Waqf Bill) should have not been passed now. We have 33 per cent of minorities in Bengal. What will I do with them?"
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 3, and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of the next day after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Bill on April 5.
"History says that Bengal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India all were together. Partition took place later. And those are living here, it's our job to give them protection," she said.
Banerjee said that if people are together, they can conquer the world.
"Some people will provoke you to assemble and launch a movement. I will appeal to all of you not to do it. Please remember when Didi (Banerjee) is here, she will protect you and your property. Let us have trust in each other," the chief minister said.
At the Jain community programme, Banerjee said she visits places of all religions and will continue to do so.
"Even if you shoot me dead, you will not be able to separate me from (that) unity. Every religion, caste, creed... all of them pray for humanity and we love them," she said.
Banerjee said she goes to Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Jain and Buddhist temples, gurudwara, church and Guru Ravidas temple.
"In Rajasthan, I visited Ajmer Sharif as well as Brahma Temple in Pushkar," she said.
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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
