Dharmasthala case: Govt monitoring social media posts, will take action if required, says Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said the government is monitoring social media for posts related to alleged mass burial in Dharmasthala and warned of action against those that could "instigate feelings in the society".
The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the claims of alleged mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
These claims were made by an anonymous former sanitation worker, who claimed that he was forced to bury several bodies, including those of women and minors, in Dharmasthala, between 1995 and 2014.
The worker has given a statement to a magistrate alleging that some of the bodies showed signs of sexual assault.
"We are watching it and if in any way they are instigating feelings in the society, we will try to stop them. We are taking action against hate speech-related cases as you are aware. We will keep watch on such postings that may create an impact (on the society) wrongly," Parameshwara told media.
He cited past actions against communal postings in Dakshina Kannada district.
Meanwhile, Pronab Mohanty, SIT chief heading the probe in the Dharmasthala case, met the state Home Minister at his residence on Friday, amid speculation that he may be replaced, after his name appeared on the list of Director General-rank officers being considered for positions in the union government.
Mohanty is currently the Director General of Police (Internal Security Division) in Karnataka.
Responding to a question on the meeting, Parameshwara clarified that it was not regarding the investigation into the Dharmasthala case, as discussing it would be inappropriate.
"Mohanty's name is there in the list of empanelment of Director General-rank officers to serve in the union government. But he will not be immediately given any posting (at Centre). He had come to inform me about it. Also, as the government is bringing rules regarding fake news, online gambling -- Mohanty being the Internal Security Division head, had come to brief me about certain things ahead of the meeting in this regard today," he explained.
The Minister noted that the decision to relieve Mohanty of his state duties for a central government position rests with the Karnataka government, which would respond to any official request from the Centre.
"No such communication has come from the Centre yet. It is only an empanelment....." he added.
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PM Modi inaugurates India AI Impact Expo, interacts with startups
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo here featuring over 600 high-potential startups and 13 country pavilions showcasing international collaboration in the AI ecosystem.
He also interacted with startups participating in the expo.
The prime minister visited various stalls and spoke with the companies participating in the expo. He was seen asking questions from company representatives to better understand what they are showcasing.
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The prime minister spent several minutes at various stalls while interacting with the representatives.
The Expo brings together global technology firms, startups, academia and research institutions, central and state governments and international partners.
Spread across 10 arenas covering more than 70,000 square metres, the Expo brings together global technology firms, startups, academia and research institutions, Union ministries, state governments and international partners.
The Expo also features 13 country pavilions, showcasing international collaboration in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem. These include pavilions from Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan and Africa.
The Expo will host over 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, structured across three thematic chakras -- people, planet and progress.
In addition, the Expo will feature over 600 high-potential startups, many of them building globally relevant and population-scale solutions. These startups will demonstrate working solutions that are already deployed in real-world settings.
