Home Minister admits Karnataka's intelligence wing is weak

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday admitted in the Assembly that the intelligence wing had become weak and said the government is taking steps to strengthen it.

Jnanendra said this in response to Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and his predecessor K R Ramesh Kumar slamming the functioning of the intelligence wing.

“It’s true that the intelligence wing comprises police officers who are not wanted in any other section. That has become a problem,” Jnanendra said. “I have discussed with the CM. A separate cadre and recruitment rules are needed and special training is required. We plan to improve intelligence,” he said.

Earlier, Kageri came down heavily on the state of affairs. “If intelligence isn’t strengthened, then danger is imminent. It has become weak and superficial. The only briefing the officers give to the government are TV headlines,” he said. “There’s no fresh blood. The unwanted officers are put in intelligence.”

Kageri said Karnataka needed military-like intelligence and even cited Israel as an example. “It’s not for nothing that Israel has survived,” he said.

Former speaker Ramesh Kumar said intelligence in Karnataka is dead and said recent instances that disrupted communal harmony would not have occurred if intel-gathering happened properly.

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