Nagamangala incident happened "on spur of moment", not communal violence: G Parameshwara
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said the clashes between two groups during Ganesha idol immersion procession in Nagamangala town in Mandya district cannot be termed as "communal violence" as he maintained that the incident happened on the "spur of the moment".
He said 52 people have been arrested from "both sides", and after reviewing CCTV footage about their involvement in the incidents like stone-pelting and torching of vehicles and properties, cases will be registered against them.
"Yesterday's incident shouldn't have happened. What began as a small incident...it has ended. No major injuries or fights have happened. Police have taken the situation under control. When the procession was on, stones were pelted, it led to some clashes. After that when everything appeared to have been solved and people were dispersing, some torched bikes and shops, and subsequently (police) brought the situation under control," Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said no loss of life or any "major problem" has been reported; the Superintendent of Police and Inspector General are at the spot, while a Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) platoon has been deployed.
"I had sent the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, he too had visited and is camping at the spot. Everything is under control and there are no further incidents," he added.
Asked whether it was communal violence, the Minister said: "accidentally while the procession was going there someone pelted stones, to which these people have also responded by pelting stones and it led to clashes. It cannot be called communal violence."
When told that a petrol bomb was allegedly hurled and and asked whether the incident was pre-planned, he said: "no, no, it (the incident) has happened immediately on the spur of the moment. Police have not allowed it to escalate further and have brought things under control. I appeal to the media not to publicise it more."
"I'm not saying that the incident has not happened. The incident has happened, we have brought the situation under control, to ensure that it should not escalate further, the force has been placed on the spot, also senior police officers are there..." he said in response to a question.
To allegations of lapses on part of the police as precautionary measures were allegedly not taken despite similar incidents taking place last year too, Parameshwara said a KSRP platoon was stationed at the spot, which helped in bringing the situation under control. "If not, there could have been bigger violence."
Noting that stones were pelted on police too, the Minister said an Assistant Sub-Inspector was injured and, taking "all those into consideration", cases will be registered.
He said prima facie there seems to be no political instigation behind the incident. "Let's see what comes from the probe report."
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
