Al-Qaeda video: Bommai calls it bid to sow discord

Bommai said he has issued directions to senior police officers to ascertain the authenticity of the video of Zawahiri

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai. Credit: DH file photo

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday that there was a conspiracy to disturb the peace and bring disrepute to Karnataka.

Reacting to bomb threats received by some Bengaluru schools, Bommai assured parents that there was no need to panic and that the police were taking precautions.

Bommai also downplayed attempts of Tamil Nadu and Telangana looking to lure companies and said such statements reflected their weakness. “Investments have flowed continuously into Karnataka. In the last three quarters, the highest FDI was for Karnataka,” he said.

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He said that there were repeated attempts to bring disrepute to Karnataka, which he said is a progressive state. “I’ve asked police authorities to take the issue seriously and not take any chances,” he said.

The government will conduct inspections everywhere, collect information about the people who issued the threats and arrest them, the CM said, noting that all security measures were in place. “The government will take all precautions and security measures. There is no scope for any fear,” he said.

On statements made by ministers of neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Telangana luring companies from Karnataka citing growing communal tension in the state, the CM said that it reflected their desperation and weakness. “Their remarks are not in good taste. They should talk about their infrastructure and seek investments, rather than belittling other states,” he said.

Karnataka, he said, had not invited companies from Tamil Nadu or Telangana to come to Karnataka. “This is our strength. If they are inviting companies to invest in their state, it reflects their weakness,” he said.

Startups in Karnataka are worth $224 billion, while they are worth $0.5 billion in other states, Bommai said.

Reacting to a tweet by IT veteran T V Mohandas Pai, who complained about the lack of basic infrastructure such as roads in Bengaluru, Bommai said: “Roads have improved a lot and are improving. Due to continuous rainfall, there was a problem... In the coming month, we will improve roads further.”

Nagarothana funds have been released and the BBMP budget was presented recently. “In the coming days, roads will be developed in a big way,” Bommai, the Bengaluru City Development minister, said.

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