"Intelligence department not up to mark," says Karnataka CM, proposes special recruitments

Karnataka has witnessed two gruesome deaths due to communal violence in less than one month this year.

Acknowledging that the intelligence department of the police in the state has a long way to go, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has proposed special recruitments and training. Responding to questions raised about communal violence and killings were the result of poor intelligence gathering, Siddaramaiah claimed that a process to recruit trained police personnel specifically for the purpose of intelligence department is underway.

"The present intelligence system is not up to the mark. I know that and you are aware of it too. A separate recruitment process is taking place now. Interviews are already underway and those recruited will be given special training and will be posted only in the intelligence department," Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister, Karnataka said on Wednesday.

Siddaramaiah was addressing the press after a conference with senior police officials ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018. Matters of communal violence, polarisation, security threat in sensitive areas of the state, need for heightened police deployment during elections were discussed during the meet.

The need to improve the intelligence department was invoked after Siddaramaiah claimed that the murders of Deepak Rao- a Bajrang Dal worker and Basheer- who was killed in retaliation in Suratkal, could have been averted if the department was stronger. The confession comes at a time when the Karnataka government is facing flak over communal violence incidents in coastal Karnataka. "I will not say that the police are one hundred per cent right and intelligence has been great. There are lapses but they have been identified and they will be rectified effectively," he added.

Siddaramaiah warned politicians like Ananth Kumar Hegde against making hate speeches. "Law will be put into motion if politicians indulge in hate speeches. Suo moto action will be taken against those seen making inflammatory speeches and comments," he said while calling the BJP MP "irresponsible". The police department has been asked to identify sensitive localities and the stations they fall under to take precautionary measures to stop communal flare-ups during the elections.

OneIndia News