Karnataka government forms special action force to tackle communal incidents

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has issued an order immediately forming a special action force to tackle communal incidents. This force will have three companies or units, which will be established in Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga and Udupi districts.

The development follows two recent murders in Dakshina Kannada, creating a tense situation in some parts of the district.

DH accessed a copy of the order issued on May 28. As per the order, 248 officers, including the senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), will be a part of this force. The appointed DIGP-ranked officer will head the force.

The 248 have been allotted from the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) with an issued strength of 656 officers and personnel. At the same time, the remaining 376 posts will be kept with the ANF for another three years, the order noted.

The special action force will have five roles: to have an intelligence unit comprising a technical cell to collect and monitor media and social media and intelligence information for hate speech, inflammatory incidents and communal incidents, to create an early warning system through surveillance and human intelligence on potential communal violence, to undertake confidence-building measures through area dominance exercises, to take measures to identify and monitor radicalisation and to take steps to deploy special task force officers/personnel by the zonal IGP in cases of communal violence.

Reacting to the development, Home Minister G Parameshwara said that to ensure peace and communal harmony, he has also directed the officers in the districts to hold peace meetings with community leaders.

“The order has been issued to immediately set up and enforce the special action force. Necessary help and aid will be provided, and needed steps will be taken by the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP). The three districts are considered very sensitive. Anyone who incites communal violence won’t be spared, and action will be initiated against them as per the law,” Parameshwara told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday.

“It (Dakshina Kannada) is a district with intelligent, good, and educated people. In terms of growth, too, there are a lot of opportunities there. We believe that we will put an end to communal incidents there,” he added.

Composition

Officer Staff Strength

DIGP 1

DySP 1

Asst Commandant 1

Pol Inspector 4

Pol Sub-Inspector 16

Head Constable 60

Police Constable 150

Other staff 15