Bengaluru: Home Minister K J George on Tuesday said the police had been given a free hand to take action against the organisers of ‘Kiss of Love’ campaign if they violate rules.
“The police will take appropriate action if there is any violation of law. If anybody wants to do anything within the legal framework, there is no objection,” he said when reporters sought his reaction to plans to organise the campaign in City.
Speaking to reporters after interacting with Congress workers at the KPCC office here, he took exception to the BJP leaders criticising him for the deteriorating law and order, saying they should first analyse the crime rate in BJP-ruled states. The crime rate in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi is also high, he said.
Not a single incident of communal violence has occurred ever since the Congress came to power in Karnataka in 2013. This has upset the BJP leaders. They have not been able to implement their “hidden agenda of spreading communal hatred”, he said.
On the police being unable to arrest the culprit who brutally attacked a woman at an ATM kiosk in Bengaluru a year ago, George said the police were still on the lookout for the attacker. It is not clear whether he is still alive or dead, he said.
On reports of sexual exploitation of women prisoners at the Bengaluru Central Prison, the minister said it was an anonymous letter written to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
The government has directed the Department of Women and Child Development to look into the issue. Moreover, the government is ready to implement any direction issued by the Chief Justice in this regard, he said.
Denies encroachment
The Home minister denied reports of one of his company encroaching on Defence land in Bengaluru. Embassy Golf Links is a joint venture between the Embassy Group and Kelachandra Group (headed by George).
“The IT park has been developed on a 65-acre land. It has been developed only after obtaining permission from the Defence ministry. If anybody has any proof that I have encroached on the Defence land, let them make it public,” he said.
He said the Home department would soon launch a school policing programme on a pilot basis in select institutions in Bengaluru. The police will train students by visiting schools. It will be along the lines of the National Cadet Corps. If the programme is successful, it will be extended to all districts in the State.
On reports of leakage of question paper pertaining to recruitment of police constables, he said he had directed the Additional Director General of Police, N S Megharik, to look into the issue.
The government will take an appropriate decision on conducting re-examination after studying reports of question paper leakage, he said.
