Cauvery protests: Security stepped up in Bengaluru, particularly in Tamil dominated areas
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid protests in several parts of Karnataka over the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka, including Bengaluru, the city police has tightened security, especially in Tamil dominated areas.
These precautions were taken after protests erupted following the Supreme Court decision yesterday to not interfere with the order of Cauvery Water Regulation Committee according to which Karnataka must release 5,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda held meetings with his subordinates and instructed all the deputy commissioners of police in the city to be on high alert and step up security in their respective jurisdictions especially in Tamil dominated areas to avoid any untoward incident.
The police commissioner told PTI that all necessary security measures have been taken.
Soon after the Supreme Court verdict on the Cauvery issue, several organisations took to the streets in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka to register their protest. On Friday too, protests were staged by various outfits in some areas of the city such as K R Puram.
Anticipating protests in the coming days as well, the police chief has directed all deputy commissioners of police to take necessary steps to maintain law and order.
Officers have been asked to tighten security measures in their respective jurisdictions based on intelligence reports about possible protests and violence in the coming days due to the Cauvery river water dispute. Farmer organisations and pro-Kannada group may stage protests at various places which may lead to traffic congestions and inconvenience to public at large, a senior police official said.
Officers have been instructed to ensure that no incident of stone pelting takes place on any Tamil Nadu registered buses or private vehicles, he said.
Farmer organisations and pro-Kannada outfits staged protests in Cauvery river basin districts like Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagara and Ramanagara expressing their anger and urging the state government not to release water to the neighbouring state.
Protests have also spread to other districts including Chitradurga, Ballari, Davangere, Koppal and Vijayapura.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
