Security tightened for I-Day celebrations across state

Additional security measures will be put in place across the state ahead of Independence Day celebrations on August 15 in the backdrop of the recent Mysuru blast, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday.

Parameshwara told reporters in Bengaluru after holding a review meeting with senior police officers that while no specific alerts or inputs have been received from central intelligence agencies on terror attacks in the state, the government did not want to take any chances.

He said the government was caught by surprise by the blast in a Mysuru court on August 1 at a time when thousands  of people were in the city to attend the funeral of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Rakesh. “We cannot imagine the consequences if the blast had happened in a crowded place instead of at the Mysuru court,” he said.

All places identified by district administrations across the state for holding Independence Day parades will be sanitised, he said. Use of drones, except by the police for monitoring purposes, has been prohibited.

Parameshwara said the internal security division of the state police had stepped up vigil and responsibilities assigned to officers to thwart any untoward incidents. New trends pertaining to terrorism across the world were being studied and counter-terrorism measures being finalised, he said.  “All precautionary measures are being taken. We do not want to be caught off-guard,” he said.

He said industries, corporates and large manufacturing units across the state, especially in Bengaluru, have been told to step up security.

Selfie zones
To a query on the Centre asking states to mark “selfie danger zones” at tourist sites, Parameshwara said the government will take an appropriate decision after receiving the official communication. The Centre had asked states to identity selfie danger zones after more than 50 people died in the last two years while taking selfies at dangerous locations across the country.