National News
Attacks on RTC drivers in Maha: Bandh evokes mixed response in K’taka; activists slam cops’ high-handedness

Bengaluru, March 22: The Karnataka bandh, called on Saturday to condemn the attack on RTC drivers for not speaking Marathi in Belagavi and Maharashtra, evoked a mixed response across the state. Thousands of Kannada activists staged protests at district headquarters, and police detained hundreds of them.
The protestors have also placed about 20 demands before the government in the interest of Kannada language and state.
Authorities made tight security arrangements in Bengaluru and denied permission for Kannada activists to stage a protest at Town Hall, a major junction in the city.
Police personnel outnumbered the protesters at the venue and transported them to Freedom Park in RTC buses. Fifteen RTC buses were stationed at the spot, and as protesters gathered, they were boarded onto these buses and dropped off at Freedom Park.
Permission for a protest march from Town Hall to Freedom Park was also denied. Since Town Hall is located in a key junction within Bengaluru’s Central Business District, any disruption there was expected to have widespread effects.
In Belagavi, where the attack on Karnataka RTC staff for not speaking Marathi initially occurred — triggering similar attacks on drivers from Maharashtra in Karnataka and vice versa — the bandh was total.
Buses from Maharashtra did not enter Karnataka, and authorities increased security to ensure the safety of the large Marathi-speaking population in the bordering region.
The bandh was also total in Mandya, Chikkamagaluru, Bagalkot, Hubballi-Dharwad, Chamarajanagar, Bidar, and other districts. In some parts of the state, the response was partial and mixed.
Vatal Nagaraj, Chairman of Kannada Okkuta (Federation of Kannada Organisations), an umbrella body of pro-Kannada and other groups, declared on Saturday that the state-wide bandh was successful.
“I congratulate all activists and organisations across the state for participating in the protest. The bandh has been total in all districts,” he stated.
“We have presented our demands to the government, the people, and the nation. The Bengaluru police acted with highhandedness to obstruct the bandh, arresting about 3,000 Kannada activists on Friday night alone. They also indiscriminately served notices,” he alleged.
He further criticised the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, stating, “It seems he has taken it upon himself to ensure the bandh does not succeed. The previous Commissioner, Bhaskar Rao, entered politics after retirement. If the current Commissioner has similar plans, he is welcome to pursue them,” he chided.
“The police insist that protests be staged at Freedom Park, which cannot accommodate even one percent of Bengaluru’s population. The Police Commissioner should conduct himself with dignity. I strongly disapprove of the attempts made to suppress the bandh,” he added.
“We have the capability to ensure that not even a drop of water is available to people during a bandh. This agitation will not stop here — it is a warning to the government. The authorities systematically used the police to prevent the bandh. But why are we protesting? Who are we protesting for? It is for the welfare of the state. Yet, the government has gone to the extent of trying to suppress the bandh,” he alleged.
Finally, he thanked the media and the people of Karnataka, stating, “I congratulate the media and the people of the state for making this bandh a success despite all the challenges.”
National News
Kerala declares Liberian ship capsize as a state-specific disaster, CMFRI begins study

Thiruvananthapuram, May 29: The Kerala government on Thursday declared the wreckage of the Liberian ship M/s ELSA 3 in the Arabian Sea 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast as a state-specific disaster.
A statement issued from the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the ship, M/s MSC ELSA-3, carrying more than 643 containers, was reported to have capsized on May 25 off the Kerala Coast near Thottappalli in Alappuzha District.
“The maritime incident has raised serious environmental concerns, including the potential for an oil spill and drifting of debris, including cargo, along Kerala’s coastline. Considering the potentially serious environmental, social, and economic impact of the ship wreckage, the Government hereby declare the wreckage of the ship M/s ELSA 3 in the Arabian Sea 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast as a State-Specific disaster,” said the statement.
This fresh development comes at a time when the Kerala government is seriously contemplating legal proceedings against the ship’s owners after fishermen’s associations have demanded appropriate compensation, fearing that the chemicals could cause long-term damage to marine life and jeopardise their livelihoods.
The Vijayan government is awaiting a response from legal experts dealing with marine topics to go forward with legal steps.
On Thursday, the containers that had been cleared from near the coast of Kollam and were being readied for transportation caught fire.
But the fire was quickly doused.
The vessel, which had reported listing approximately 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast, ultimately sank into the Arabian Sea on Sunday morning.
In a related development, the ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Thursday launched a study to assess the changes in the marine environment following the shipwreck.
The study is currently being conducted by four different teams on the coastal areas of Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts.
The teams are collecting water, phytoplankton and sediment samples from 10 stations in these districts at regular intervals for the investigation.
According to CMFRI Director Grinson George, the study aims to understand various types of marine pollution associated with the shipwreck.
National News
Centre approves deployment of 581 companies of CAPF for Amarnath Yatra security

Srinagar, May 29: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the deployment of 581 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to Jammu and Kashmir for providing massive security to the Amarnath Yatra 2025 beginning on July 3.
The MHA has approved the deployment to provide security to the pilgrims, official sources said on Thursday.
The decision comes ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the union territory.
The ministry has authorised the J&K administration and police to utilise 156 CAPF companies already stationed in the region.
“These include 91 CRPF, 30 SSB, 15 CISF, 13 BSF, and 7 ITBP units, each comprising around 75 to 80 personnel.
“MHA will dispatch an additional 425 companies by June 10, which will include 130 BSF, 128 CRPF (including five women’s units), 67 SSB, 55 ITBP, and 45 CISF companies. The forces will be on duty till the conclusion of the yatra on August 9, after which they will be de-inducted.
“A communication regarding the same has been sent to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of J&K on May 23. The MHA had responded to a formal request from the J&K government dated May 20, seeking additional forces to ensure a safe and peaceful pilgrimage season,” sources said.
This year’s Amarnath Yatra begins on July 3 and will end on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima festivals.
The Amarnath cave shrine is situated 3888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas. The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon.
Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. They approach the cave shrine either from the traditional longer Pahalgam route in Anantnag district or the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
National News
Rajasthan govt employee arrested in Jaisalmer on suspicion of spying for Pakistan

Jaipur, May 29: Security agencies have arrested a government employee in Jaisalmer on charges of espionage. The accused, Shakoor Khan, currently employed as a clerk at the Mangalia District Employment Office had recently travelled to Pakistan without obtaining departmental permission.
He was formerly the personal secretary of ex-minister Saleh Mohammad in 2008, during his tenure as the MLA from Pokhran.
According to reports, the authorities discovered several Pakistani phone numbers in his phone which Shakoor Khan couldn’t explain. He also confessed that he had travelled to Pakistan at least seven times in recent years.
Officials revealed that acting on Intelligence inputs, security personnel detained Shakoor Khan from the employment office and began questioning him regarding his visit.
Sources confirmed that Shakoor, a resident of Mangalia Ki Dhani in Baroda village, is being interrogated by the Joint Investigation Committee.
Multiple agencies are collaborating to probe the matter further as Shakoor Khan was found to have phone numbers associated with Pakistan stored on his device, officials said.
The arrest comes amid heightened security across India following ‘Operation Sindoor’, launched in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly civilians, were killed.
Given the strategic sensitivity of Jaisalmer due to its proximity to the Indo-Pak border, agencies are closely monitoring all suspicious activities. As of now, no official statement has been released by authorities regarding the case.
The Joint Investigation Committee is questioning Shakoor Khan, who was caught from the employment office on Wednesday night.
Various investigation agencies are working together to get to the bottom of this matter, said officials, adding, “Shakoor is being questioned for travelling to Pakistan without informing the department despite being a government employee.”
“There were inputs about Shakoor Khan that he could be involved in spying for Pakistan. He was on surveillance following inputs and was detained last night,” media reports quoted an official as saying.
A joint interrogation was conducted in Jaisalmer following which the team left for Jaipur with Shakoor Khan.
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