Follow Us "Asianet Image")
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged strict security, daily media briefings, and vigilance despite the India-Pakistan ceasefire. He emphasised curbing fake news, monitoring prices, and preventing communal tensions across Karnataka.
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials to implement stringent security measures to safeguard public safety amid rising tensions, despite the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan. During a virtual meeting on Saturday with Home Department officials, Deputy Commissioners, and senior police officers, he emphasised the importance of prioritising security without compromise.
Officials were also ordered to issue daily media briefings, actively counter fake news, and ensure immediate clarifications through constant fact-checking. In a subsequent press conference, he emphasised the need for continued vigilance despite the ceasefire declaration between Pakistan and India. He mentioned holding meetings with the Home Minister, Revenue Minister, Rural Development Minister, Chief Secretary, Deputy Commissioners, and Superintendents of Police, stressing the importance of the police department remaining alert. He also highlighted the need for effective coordination between central and district-level officials.
Siddaramaiah instructed all commissionerates to provide daily briefings to the media and actively work to prevent the spread of fake news. He emphasised the need for constant vigilance, strengthening civil defence systems, offering training, and preparing for medical emergencies. He directed all civil service units, including the fire department, to remain alert and suspend police leaves until further notice, requiring all officers to be on duty 24/7.
Related Articles
Continuous Fact-checking is necessary
He stressed the importance of enhancing intelligence, exercising caution against misinformation on social media, and conducting continuous fact-checking. Officials were instructed to issue immediate clarifications upon identifying fake news. He also called for heightened security at hospitals, religious places, and educational institutions.
Ministers Dr G Parameshwara, Krishna Byre Gowda, and Priyank Kharge, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and senior police officers attended the meeting.
Control Food prices
The Chief Minister warned against potential attempts to create artificial scarcity and inflate prices of essential commodities, including food grains. He instructed officials to monitor black market activities and prevent price hikes. He also directed tighter security in coastal areas and ordered the revision of the list of known communal instigators, keeping them under strict surveillance.
He further ordered the preparation of a list of individuals suspected of plotting to endanger national security and emphasised strict action against those disrupting communal harmony. Specific instructions were issued for increased security in coastal regions and continuous patrolling of all key locations.
Siddaramaiah directed officials to identify and take legal action against individuals attempting to harm national and state harmony, incite communal tensions, or pose threats to national security. He reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and preventing any form of disharmony.
Addressing the issue of Pakistani nationals in the state, he mentioned a case involving three children under six years of age near Mysuru. These children were born to a Pakistani national who had married a local woman but later returned to Pakistan, leaving the children behind. Efforts to repatriate the children were unsuccessful as no one came to receive them at the border. The children have since been placed under protection, and the central government has been informed.
While expressing satisfaction over the recent ceasefire announcement, effective from 5 PM on May 10 as per the Ministry of Defence, the Chief Minister emphasised the continued need for caution. He made these remarks during a press briefing at Vidhana Soudha following a high-level meeting with Home Department officials on law and order and civil defence operations.
