After getting bail in COVID violation case, D K Shivakumar attacks BJP
Bengaluru, Apr 22: Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar on Friday said he has got bail in connection with a case filed against him and five other party leaders for a pro-farmers protest they had staged in January 2021, in violation of COVID-19 curbs.
He accused the ruling BJP of indulging in "politics of hate".
"The protest was at Freedom Park (in Bengaluru) where over 10,000 people had gathered, while a case was registered against six people including me intentionally under the Disaster Management Act...it is a different matter that we have to respect the law. We had gone to the civil court for elected representatives and got the bail," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Pointing out that no cases were booked against BJP leaders who violated COVID curbs, he alleged that "politics of hate" is being practiced, aimed at creating legal trouble for him and Congress leaders.
While Shivakumar was accused number one in the case, the others include state working presidents Saleem Ahmed, Eshwar Khandre, former NSUI president H S Manjunath, former Youth Congress president Basanagouda Badarli and party leader Shafiulla.
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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
