4 men found outside CBI chief's home belong to IB, were on 'routine covert' duties: MHA
New Delhi, Nov 25 : Four men belonging to the Intelligence Bureau were caught outside the official residence of CBI director Alok Verma, who has been divested of his powers and sent on leave, officials said Thursday.
While Home Ministry officials said the four men were on "routine, covert" duties in the high security area outside Verma's 2 Janpath residence, sources said they were taken away by police and questioned.
The IB is entrusted with the responsibility of collecting intelligence on situations that may affect public order and internal security. Among other things, its units are "routinely" deployed in "sensitive areas", a Home Ministry official said.
At times, this is done in association with local law enforcement agencies, and at other times, a surprise element is built in, he added.
This also enables law enforcement agencies to respond immediately to developing situations. The officials carry their identity cards since they are on "routine duties", he explained.
"This is unlike surveillance, which is done without any visible appurtenances. One unit, in the early hours of today, halted at Janpath where there was an unusual collection of people," the official said.
This was with a view to check why people had collected at the location.
"This is a high security zone where several protectees reside. Unfortunately, their presence was projected otherwise," another official said.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and NCP chief Sharad Pawar live near the CBI director's official residence.
Though police sources said the men were being interrogated, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma denied that police had detained and questioned them.
In an unprecedented shake-up in the CBI's 55-year-history, both Verma and his deputy, Special Director Rakesh Asthana, were divested of their powers and sent on leave in a dramatic overnight action by the government Tuesday night.
Verma knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court Wednesday, challenging the government's decision. The apex court agreed to hear his plea on Friday.
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RSS needs to increase activism on social media as work expands: Bhagwat
Nagpur (PTI): Social media is widely used, and there is a need for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to increase “activism” on such platforms for a good cause, said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday.
He was speaking at the centenary event of the Marathi newspaper Tarun Bharat in Nagpur.
The RSS chief said that while social media is used extensively by people, it should be utilised for a good cause.
“Memes and reels are already in circulation. Some content is being disseminated through the RSS’ communication department, and our volunteers are also using social media. This will gain acceptance. I won’t call it an expectation, but we will have to increase our activism there,” he said.
Bringing people together and transforming society were both necessary and mutually reinforcing, he said.
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When a committed volunteer is developed, they take up constructive work, which spreads through society and contributes to desired change, said the RSS chief.
Bhagwat said the RSS’s work was expanding and required decentralisation.
As public expectations had grown, there was increasing demand for volunteers across sectors, making smaller units necessary for better efficiency, according to the RSS chief.
He said that the organisation’s expanding work also required periodic interaction with the government and administration, for which a separate coordination mechanism was being created.
A “pradesh-level” unit was being set up to handle such coordination and address hurdles, he added.
