Karnataka govt set to crack down on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants: Home Minister Araga Jnanendra
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government plans to crack down on Bangladeshi immigrants who work in the State, with Home Minister Araga Jnanendra flagging concerns that they pose a danger to the country's internal security.
The Minister said a survey is underway by police to track down such illegal immigrants.
He said police have information about their presence in parts of the State, especially in coffee plantations in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts working as labourers.
"Special efforts and preparations are on to track them and apprehend them," Jnanendra told PTI in an interview on Thursday.
He alleged that Bangladeshi immigrants manage to get ration cards, voter ID cards and Aadhaar cards in Assam and West Bengal after they sneak into India.
It's a big racket and there is a need to crack down on this network. "It poses a danger to our country's security", the Minister said.
Jnanendra also said cyber crime cases have been going up sharply in recent times in the State, adding, police are in touch with bank managements to address the issue.
The Karnataka government has inked an MoU with its Gujarat counterpart on training state personnel to tackle cyber crimes.
"We are sending 60 police personnel working in our cyber cell to Gujarat for training", the Minister said.
On drug menace, Jnanendra said Karnataka police is in touch Central agencies, and coordination with neighbouring States to curb such activities is being strengthened.
Referring to the "anti-conversion bill" which was cleared by the Legislative Assembly but is yet to be passed in the Council, where the ruling BJP lacks majority, the Minister said the government intends to promulgate an ordinance.
But at the same the government is also mulling to get it passed in the upper House in the coming Budget session.
"We have increased our numbers (in the Council) after the recent elections. There may be one or two differences (short by one or two members). But we will manage. There are members in other parties who want this to become law", he said.
The Minister also said that the government has proposed to revise the prison manual.
There are acres of unutilised land within premises of jails, and the government has proposed to promote agriculture and industrial activities there which would generate income and give work opportunities for inmates who otherwise sit idle.
The government is also giving a major thrust to "beat policing" system in the State to promote greater involvement of constables.
According to him, Naxal activities have down substantially in the State. There are a few naxals operating in areas bordering Kerala, but there is a feeling among naxals that "Karnataka is not safe" for their activities.
On completion of six months in office of the Basavaraj Bommai government this week, Jnanendra praised the leadership of the Chief Minister saying he has given good administration, and freedom for Ministers to work.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
