Police told to stay vigilant on overstaying foreign nationals in Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah
Chamarajanagara (Karnataka), Apr 24 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the police have been instructed to remain vigilant about foreign nationals overstaying in the state.
His comments come against the backdrop of the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that left at least 26 people dead on Tuesday.
"I have told the police to remain cautious," Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question about surveillance on foreign nationals overstaying in the state.
Speaking on the terror incident, he said the attack was condemnable, heinous, and inhuman.
He added that the central government should ensure such incidents do not recur, and that terrorists, irrespective of religion or caste, must be eliminated.
He also said his party and government will extend full cooperation in this regard.
In response to another question, the CM said his government is ready to implement the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery River as soon as the central government grants the necessary approvals.
"We are ready to implement the Mekedatu project. The central government has to approve it. If they approve it today, we will start implementation tomorrow," he said, adding that despite meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the matter, no progress has been made.
Mekedatu is a multi-purpose (drinking water and power) project proposed by Karnataka. It involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in the Ramanagara district with a capacity of 67.16 tmcft. Tamil Nadu has opposed the project, citing concerns that it could impact the state’s water share.
Once completed, the project aims to supply 4.75 tmcft of drinking water to Bengaluru and nearby areas and generate 400 MW of power, according to Karnataka officials.
Alleging that the Centre often withholds the state's share of funds, the CM said even announced allocations are not being released.
"Rs 5,300 crore was announced for the Upper Bhadra project in 2023-24, but not a single rupee has been released. It was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech when Basavaraj Bommai was the Chief Minister," he said.
Asked if this amounted to a political vendetta, Siddaramaiah said, "It looks like that."
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Rajnath questions Pakistan's ability to handle nuclear weapons
Srinagar (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday questioned the safety of nuclear weapons in the hands of Pakistan, and said they should be taken under monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Interacting with troops here in his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since Operation Sindoor, he said the operation has made it clear to terror outfits and their masters in Pakistan that they should not consider themselves safe anywhere.
"I want to raise question before whole world: are nuclear weapons safe in hands of Pakistan, a rogue and irresponsible nation," he said.
Pakistan's nuclear weapons should be taken under monitoring of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he demanded.
IAEA is a global nuclear watchdog.
The defence minister is on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of the overall security situation, especially along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border.
Top military officials will brief the defence minister on various aspects of the prevailing security situation, officials said.
The defence minister will review the overall situation as well as combat readiness of the frontline troops at the Indian Army's XV Corps in Srinagar.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure early on May 7 following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.
The Pakistani actions were strongly responded to by the Indian side. The Indian military targeted eight Pakistani air bases with missiles and other long-range weapons on May 10 in retaliation for Pakistan's attempts to strikes 26 military facilities.
The hostilities ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions following talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations of both sides on the afternoon of May 10.
