Not bothered how long I survive as CM, says Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru, Oct 23: H.D Kumaraswamy Tuesday asserted that the opportunity to occupy the post of Karnataka Chief Minister was "godsend" for him and he was not bothered how long he would occupy the chair.
Kumaraswamy, who is heading the Congress-JD(S) coalition government and facing frequent pinpricks from some sections of the coalition partner, said both parties had come together to save the state and not for any vested interests.
He also said the Narendra Modi "trend" witnessed in 2014 general election no more existed, as reflected in the results of several bypolls across the country.
"Karnataka has provided a new platform for the 2019 parliamentary elections and a new political change will take place from here," he said.
Kumaraswamy claimed the results of the November 3 bypolls in three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka would impact the poll outcome in the five states where assembly polls are to be held.
"Karnataka will send across a message to the nation for the 2019 election. There is a new thinking process going on in the country and Karnataka offers the platform for it," he said.
Responding to a query, he said, "I am not bothered how long I am here in this post. I believe I am here for five years. God gave me this opportunity, which I have to use for the benefit of people," he said at a meet-the-press programme organised by Press Club of Bangalore and Bangalore Reporters Guild.
The JD(S) and the Congress had entered into a post-poll alliance after the May assembly polls yielded a hung verdict with the BJP emerging as the single largest party but failing to muster the numbers to form a government.
"We did not form the government to advance our vested interests. It is a government to save the state and its people. It is not a government to protect Siddaramaiah or Kumaraswamy," he said.
The chief minister was peeved at BJP's allegations against the coalition government that it was a product of opportunism.
"Our BJP friends say that Siddaramaiah and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda were opportunists. They (BJP leaders) recall Deve Gowda's statement that finishing off Siddaramaiah was his sole objective but today the opportunists came together," he said.
"However, what will you say about BJP's interest or arrangement? It was (state BJP president) Yeddyurappa who said in 2013 (after breaking away from BJP) that my dead body will also not go to the BJP. Look at the language the BJP leaders used," he said.
On the Congress-JD(S) coalition arrangement, Kumaraswamy said developments in Karnataka had always impacted national politics.
In this context, he said Karnataka provided a platform to V P Singh to become the prime minister.
Kumaraswamy recalled the crop loan waiver, emphasis on improving education and allocation of more funds under the Anna Bhagya scheme providing 7 kg rice to each member of families belonging to the below poverty line as some of the progressive steps the government has taken.
Speaking about infrastructure projects, Kumaraswamy said the peripheral ring road and outer ring road in Bengaluru that was pending for a long time has been given life once again.
He also said 440 bridges in the rural areas would be constructed where people were forced to build temporary wooden bridges that could jeopardise their lives.
To improve administration, he said his government has streamlined the transfer process and has given a free hand to the police to take stringent action against anti-social elements.
Kumaraswamy said his government would act tough against "corrupt elements" and cited the case of two officers who were raided recently while 18 kg gold was seized from their possession.
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Airlines got 999 hoax bomb threats till Nov 14 this year; 256 FIRs filed: Govt
New Delhi, Nov 28: Airlines received 999 hoax bomb threats this year till November 14 and as many as 256 FIRs have been filed while guidelines have been issued by aviation security regulator BCAS for objective assessment of threats, the government said on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a total of 1,148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 14, 2024 threatening the operations of international and domestic air travel.
While 999 threats were received by airlines during the period from January to November 14, 2024, the count stood at 122 last year and at 27 for the August-December 2022 period.
"256 FIRs have been filed since January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs have been filed during 14 October- 14 November 2024. 12 arrests have been made in view of hoax bomb threat since January 2024 till 14 November 2024," the minister said.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued guidelines for objective assessment of threats. The indicative factor has been useful in reducing time taken by the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) during the decision-making process.
"Also, to reduce the overall time taken for convening BTAC to less than 5 minutes, virtual assembly of BTAC through pre-generated video link has been set up. Further, advisories for compulsory 10 per cent of secondary ladder point check-in for all flights, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, enhanced security measures and surveillance at cargo terminals were issued," Mohol said.
Further, the minister said the government is considering amending the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to put hoax threat messenger in the no-fly list.
"It is also being considered to amend Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation for covering Aircraft in flight as well as on ground, airport etc," he added.
