Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jul 2: State home minister K J George said that the government has been taking all possible measures to annihilate underworld activities. "Assistance from every investigating agency including the Interpol have been availed of to affectively browbeat the challenges posed by the underworld including in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts," he said.

He gave these details in reply to the above topic raised by BJP MLA, Sunil Kumar, during the question hour. The MLA had said that the underworld has been aggressively active in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, and that miscreants, with the help of underworld dons stationed abroad and local agents have been running a flourishing racket of posing life threats to entrepreneurs and extracting protection money. He claimed that even areca nut growers are receiving threat calls now-a-days after thir crops began commanding sky high prices, and urged the government to form a special investigation team exclusively for decimating underworld activities in these two districts.

The home minister went on to condemn the analysis of the opposition that even the police officers are feeling intimidated by the underworld. "I do not approve of the attempts of the opposition members to undermine the confidence and morale of police department by airing such views. In fact, the police officials have been doing an exemplary work towards controlling the underworld. At the same time, it would not be possible for me to openly discuss ways and means undertaken by the department to achieve this objective," he added.

Leader of the opposition in the assembly, Jagadish Shettar, opined that the underworld has not restricted its activities to Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, but also been active all over the state including north Karnataka. He therefore urged the government to take steps to keep the underworld under check all over the state.