Police demand late night withdrawal of Surathkal tollgate protest
Surathkal: Surathkal Police visited the houses of and issued notices late Saturday night to the leaders of the group of protesters against the Surathkal toll gate.
Notices have been issued to leaders like Muneer Katipalla, B K Imtiaz, Prathibha Kulai and Raghavendra Rao, said sources.
The police notice issued on Saturday night mentions that the leaders had earlier been instructed to call a meeting and assure the authorities that the protest against the toll gate was withdrawn. The protest committee, however, had refused to do so.
It is learned that the leaders have now been instructed to visit the office of the DCP immediately on receiving the notice and declare in writing a closure of the protest, the sources added.
Katipalla has questioned local legislators on the propriety of such a move by the police. “Do you send policemen to the houses of fighters at midnight? Do you send them to meet even lady fighters?” he has asked MLAs Bharath Shetty, Umakanth Kotian and Vedvyas Kamath, adding that the people no longer fear such moves. “You have been stripped bare before the people of Tulunadu,” he has said in the tweet.
Imtiaz, who spoke to Vartha Bharati on the police visit and notice, said such moves have been made in the last six years. “The protest committee, however, does not fear such attempts to intimidate us. The struggle opposing the toll gate now not just consists of the committee, it has grown to be the common people’s fight. There is no fear about extreme measures like on Saturday,” he said.
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Dense fog keeps visibility low in Delhi, air quality 'very poor'
New Delhi (PTI): Early morning visibility was low in parts of the national capital on Friday due to a thick layer of smog and haze, with mercury levels settling at 9 degree Celsius.
Delhi's air remained in the 'very poor' category, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 382, edging closer to the 'severe' category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board's SAMEER app, out of 40 air quality monitoring stations across the city, 14 recorded severe air quality while 26 were in the very poor category. Vivek Vihar recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 434, the data showed.
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As per the Central Pollution Control Board's classification, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 satisfactory, 101 to 200 moderate, 201 to 300 poor, 301 to 400 very poor and 401 to 500 severe.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast that air quality is likely to remain in the 'very poor' category till Saturday and deteriorate to 'severe' on Sunday.
Several parts of the national capital were seen enveloped in dense smog during the early morning hours, leading to reduced visibility.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the minimum temperature settled at 9 degrees Celsius, while relative humidity stood at 100 per cent.
The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius, with dense fog likely to persist through the day.
Meanwhile, the ban on the entry of non-Delhi private vehicles below BS-VI emission standards and enforcement of the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force in the national capital on Thursday as authorities stepped up measures to tackle worsening air pollution.
Fuel pumps are not dispensing fuel to vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, with enforcement being carried out using automatic number plate reader cameras, voice alerts at fuel stations and police support.
