Congress top brass meets Karnataka leaders to hammer strategy for 2024 LS Polls
New Delhi, Aug 2: Top Congress leadership on Wednesday discussed the party's strategy for the next Lok Sabha elections with senior party leaders from Karnataka and called for unity in the party cadre for a repeat of its electoral success.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi were part of the discussions, where Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, besides AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala, were present.
Kharge and Gandhi urged the party leaders to help repeat the party performance in the upcoming general elections and called for unity across its rank and file.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi also told the leaders and ministers there should be no corruption in the Congress government in the state.
He urged the ministers to rise to the expectations of the people who have voted the party to power.
"Together, we are scripting a new chapter of progress and welfare for 6.5 Crore Kannadigas. We are tirelessly working towards fulfilling our 5 solemn guarantees, all of which are in advanced stages of implementation," Kharge said after the meeting.
"A historic mandate also brings in a huge responsibility. We are confident that the people of Karnataka will also repose their faith in the Congress party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," the Congress chief said.
He also said that Karnataka trusts the party's "welfare-oriented governance and development paradigm."
Siddaramaiah later tweeted pictures of the meeting, while KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary, organisation, claimed the party will come to power in 2024 with a resounding victory.
"Today, attended a meeting to review preparations of Karnataka Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, chaired by INC President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge ji, along with Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji and other senior leaders.
"Karnataka gave the INC a historic mandate. We are working tirelessly to fulfil our guarantees, and will usher in transformative change in the state. Repeating 2023, Karnataka will resoundingly reject BJP in 2024," Venugopal said in a tweet after the meeting.
"Neither do people believe PM Modi anymore, nor think that BJP's motley group of incompetent MPs and Karnataka leaders can deliver on their hopes. Karnataka is firmly behind the Congress, be it Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha," he also said.
The Congress won the assembly elections in Karnataka recently and ousted the BJP from the lone southern state where it was in power.
The party is now seeking to stage a stupendous performance in the Lok Sabha elections riding the momentum after its victory in Karnataka.
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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.
