K’taka police to conduct drive to identify foreign nationals staying illegally: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said he has directed the police department to conduct a statewide drive to identify Bangladeshi nationals or other foreign nationals staying illegally here.
He also said directions have been issued to identify chemical factories operating across Karnataka and to record their trade licences and activities as part of efforts to curb drug manufacturing.
"Yesterday, I issued directions to the department to conduct a statewide drive to identify Bangladeshis or other foreign nationals who are staying illegally," Parameshwara said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said there were conflicting claims about the number of illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the state.
"Some are claiming there are 20 lakh illegal Bangladeshis. As per our records, around 370 people have been deported so far. Whatever the number may be, those staying illegally must be identified and action taken to deport them," he said.
Referring to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru, the minister said its records also did not indicate a large number of foreign nationals illegally staying in the state.
"Even otherwise, if anyone is staying here illegally, it has to be identified. Therefore, directions have been given to conduct a drive," he added.
Parameshwara said that, similarly, to curb illegal drug factories, police have been instructed to identify chemical factories within city limits, inspect them, bring them on record and monitor their activities.
"These are important directions. Officials have already begun the exercise of recording where chemical factories are located, what they manufacture and whether they possess valid trade licences. All these details are being collected," he said.
He added that instructions had also been given to conduct inspections rigorously within the Bengaluru Police Commissionerate limits.
The minister further said that CM Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, has begun preparations for the state budget.
"The department has prepared a presentation outlining its demands, which will be submitted to the CM. Most importantly, we want recruitments to take place, new police stations to be opened, and other requirements to be addressed," he added.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
