Union Home Minister Amit Shah lays foundation stone for RAF campus in Bhadravathi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday urged Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to start colleges under the Gujarat-based Rashtriya Raksha University and National Forensic Sciences University to encourage youths of Karnataka to take up courses and contribute to the field of internal security and forensic sciences.

Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone for the 97th Battalion of Rapid Action Force (RAF) at Bullapura village in Bhadravathi taluk on Saturday, Shah said, "National Forensic Sciences University is the first educational institute in the world that is aimed at facilitating, promoting studies and research exclusively in the field of forensic science. Rashtriya Raksha University is dedicated to education, research and training in the domain of policing."

The minister said that the two companies of the RAF-97 battalion are coming up on 50.2 acres of land, allotted by the state government, at a cost of Rs 350 crore.

The 97 Battalion RAF has been strategically placed at Shivamogga, located almost in the central part of Karnataka, to deal with riots or riot-like situations primarily in 31 districts of Karnataka, four districts of Kerala - Kozhikode, Kasargod, Kannur and Wayanad, Goa, Lakshadweep and Mahe of Puducherry. The strength of the two companies of RAF allotted to Bhadravathi will be 445. Of these, 399 are men and 46 women, the Union Home minister explained.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Deputy Chief Ministers Govind Karjol and C N Ashwath Narayan, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa, MP B Y Raghavendra, Bhadravathi MLA B K Sangamesh, CRPF Director General Anand Prakesh Maheshwari and others were present.

'India under Modi fought well against virus'

India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fought the most successful battle against coronavirus in the world, and with the beginning of the vaccination drive, the country has taken the fight against the pandemic to a final stage, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.

After inaugurating the RAF battalion in Bhadravathi, Shah said, "India under Prime Minister Modi's leadership has fought the most successful battle against COVID-19 in the world."

During the initial days of the outbreak, some experts had expressed worry about a few countries, including India, on how they will manage with a huge population and not-so-prepared health infrastructure, Shah said, adding there was only one lab in the country that could undertake testing for the infection.

"Today we have more than 2,000. The main difference in the fight that India fought against the virus compared to the rest of the world is that the entire population of the country fought it with unity," the Union minister said pointing out India's less fatality and high recovery rates.