Tag: security

Security tightened in J-K for Republic Day

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Jammu/Srinagar: On the eve of country’s Republic Day, extraordinary security arrangements were put in place on Wednesday to ensure hassle-free official functions and celebrations.
In light of twin blasts in Jammu city two days ago, authorities have tightened security deploying all resources to ensure that the terrorists and anti-national elements are kept at bay.
Human intelligence augmented by technology and electronic surveillance have been put in place especially in Jammu and Srinagar cities.
Aerial surveillance by drones, CCTV cameras mounted at traffic crossings, crowded places, vital installations and sensitive establishments together with sharpshooters of the security forces manning vantage positions around the main parade venues in Jammu and Srinagar are some of the highlights of heightened security around the Republic Day.
In contrast to past many years, there was no tension in Srinagar city and other cities and towns of the Valley around this year’s Republic Day.
Despite these arrangements, people moved freely in markets and on streets and the ubiquitous presence of the security forces did not evoke any fear among the pedestrians in Srinagar and other places.
No separatist leader or group has given any boycott call on the eve of the Republic Day this year as well.
In fact, ever since August 2019 when article 370 was abrogated, separatist leaders and their sympathisers have kept a low profile and refrained from giving protest and shutdown calls that had become a routine till 2019.

The main Republic Day parade is being held at the Maulana Azad stadium in Jammu city where the Lt. Governor, Manoj Sinha will hoist the national flag and take salute at the parade.
In Srinagar, the main function is being held at the S.K. Cricket Stadium where Divisional Commissioner (Kashmir), P.K. Pole will hoist the tricolour and take salute at the parade.
At all other district headquarters, concerned district development commissioners will preside over the official functions connected with the Republic Day.
Frisking of commuters at different places in and outside Srinagar city and checking of vehicles at various places by the security forces continued on Wednesday.
Makeshift drop gates manned by police and CRPF have come up near different vital installations where entry and exit of people and vehicles are regulated.
Metal detectors, electronic equipment and sniffer dogs are also used to ensure foolproof security.
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#Security #tightened #Republic #Day
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 25, 2023
Reporting corruption in a time of war: The Ukrainian journalists’ dilemma

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When a major corruption scandal broke in Ukraine last weekend, reporters faced an excruciating dilemma between professional duty and patriotism. The first thought that came to my mind was: “Should I write about this for foreigners? Will it make them stop supporting us?”
There was no doubting the severity of the cases that were erupting into the public sphere. They cut to the heart of the war economy. In one instance, investigators were examining whether the deputy infrastructure minister had profited from a deal to supply electrical generators at an inflated price, while the defense ministry was being probed over an overpriced contract to supply food and catering services to the troops.
Huge stories, but in a sign of our life-or-death times in Ukraine, even my colleague Yuriy Nikolov, who got the scoop on the inflated military contract, admitted he had done everything he could not to publish his investigation. He took his findings to public officials hoping that they might be able to resolve the matter, before he finally felt compelled to run it on the ZN.UA website.

Getting a scoop that shocks your country, forces your government to start investigations and reform military procurement, and triggers the resignation of top officials is ordinarily something that makes other journalists jealous. But I fully understand how Nikolov feels about wanting to hold back when your nation is at war. Russia (and Ukraine’s other critics abroad) are, after all, looking to leap upon any opportunity to undermine trust in our authorities.
A journalist is meant to stay a little distant from the situation he or she covers. It helps to stay impartial and to stick to the facts, not emotions. But what if staying impartial is impossible as you have to cover the invasion of your own country? Naturally, you have to keep holding your government to account, but you are also painfully aware that the enemy is out there looking to exploit any opportunity to erode faith in the leadership and undermine national security.
That is exactly what Ukrainian journalists have to deal with every day. In the first six months of the invasion, Ukrainian journalists and watchdogs decided to put their public criticism of the Ukrainian government on pause and focus on documenting Russian war crimes.
But that has backfired.
“This pause led to a rapid loss of accountability for many Ukrainian officials,” Mykhailo Tkach, one of Ukraine’s top investigative journalists, wrote in a column for Ukrainska Pravda.
His investigations about Ukrainian officials leaving the country during the war for lavish vacations in Europe led to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposing a ban on officials traveling abroad during the war for non-work-related issues. It also sparked the dismissal of the powerful deputy prosecutor general.
The Ukrainian government was forced to react to corruption and make a major reshuffle almost immediately. Would that happen if Ukrainian journalists decided to sit on their findings until victory? I doubt it.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended up imposing a ban on officials traveling abroad during the war for non-work-related issues | Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images
Is it still painful when you have to write about your own government’s officials’ flops when overwhelming enemy forces are trying to erase your nation from the planet, using every opportunity they can get to shake your international partners’ faith? Of course it is.
But in this case, there was definite room for optimism. Things are changing in Ukraine. The government had to react very quickly, under intense pressure from civil society and the independent press. Memes and social media posts immediately appeared, mocking the government’s pledge to buy eggs at massively inflated prices. Ultimately, the deputy infrastructure minister was fired and the deputy defense minister resigned.
This speedy response was praised by the European Commission and showed how far we really are from Russia, where authorities hunt down not the officials accused of corruption, but the journalists who report it.
As Tkach said, many believe that the war with the internal enemy will begin immediately after the victory over the external one.
However, we can’t really wait that long. It is important to understand that the sooner we win the battle with the internal enemy — high-profile corruption — the sooner we win the war against Russia.
“Destruction of corruption means getting additional funds for the defense capability of the country. And it means more military and civilian lives saved,” Tkach said.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 24, 2023
French privacy chief warns against using facial recognition for 2024 Olympics

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PARIS — The French data protection authority’s president Marie-Laure Denis warned Tuesday against using facial recognition as part of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics security toolkit.
“The members of the CNIL’s college call on parliamentarians not to introduce facial recognition, that is to say the identification of people on the fly in the public space,” she told Franceinfo.
The French government is seeking to ramp up France’s arsenal of surveillance powers to ensure the safety of the millions of tourists expected for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. The plans include AI-powered cameras for the first time — but not facial recognition.
The Senate’s plenary session starts to vote today on the law introducing the new powers. Senators are divided between those who want to add privacy safeguards and those who want to push the surveillance and security arsenal further, mainly by introducing facial recognition.
“The amendment [to include facial recognition] was rejected in the Senate’s law committee, but it can come back [in the plenary session],” the CNIL’s chief cautioned.
Civil liberties NGOs such as La Quadrature du Net and the Human Rights League are currently campaigning against the experimental AI-powered surveillance cameras. Denis however tried to assuage concerns.
The CNIL will monitor algorithmic training to ensure there is no bias and that footage of people is deleted in due time, she said. The experiment will “not necessarily” become permanent, she added.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 24, 2023
Bharat Jodo Yatra: Congress Won’t Compromise On Rahul Gandhi’s Security, Says Jairam Ramesh

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SRINAGAR: The Congress on Sunday said the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ will follow the directions of the security agencies as the security of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is of topmost concern. The statement comes as Jammu witnessed twin blasts on Saturday that left many civilians injured.
“We are in touch with the security agency. Any suggestions from them will be followed. There can be no compromise when it comes to the security of Rahul Gandhi. His security is of topmost concern for us,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in Kathua.
He said the party’s stand is clear on terrorism. “There should be no compromise in dealing with either the perpetrators or sponsors of terrorism,” Ramesh said.
Several Congress leaders on Sunday said they were concerned about the safety and security of Gandhi after the twin explosions in Jammu “as it raises a question mark on the security arrangements”.
“We accept that the security agencies are fully alert and are doing their job satisfactorily, but claims of the government that terrorism has been finished falls flat in the wake of such incidents,” a Jammu-based Congress leader said.
Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is arriving in Jammu on Monday. Jammu has been put on high alert following twin blasts in the city.
In response to statements made by the BJP where they asked the Congress to clarify its stand on the issue of Article 370, Ramesh said, “Article 370 is a very serious issue. As of now, the bigger issue is restoration of democratic processes in J&K, when elections will be held and Statehood restored. J&K has become an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).”
He said there is an “undeclared emergency in the country”. “An undeclared emergency is more dangerous than a declared emergency. The BJP has ended the spirit of democracy in the country,” he added.

Gandhi will address a rally in Jammu on Monday. He will celebrate Republic Day with locals in J&K’s Banihal area before heading for the Kashmir Valley. His Bharat Jodo campaign will conclude on January 30 in Srinagar. Several regional leaders have joined the yatra and more leaders from Kashmir are likely to join the yatra in the Valley.

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#Bharat #Jodo #Yatra #Congress #Wont #Compromise #Rahul #Gandhis #Security #Jairam #Ramesh
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 22, 2023
Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes amid tight security in J-K’s Kathua

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Kathua/Jammu: The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed Sunday from Hiranagar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district amid heightened security in the wake of twin blasts in Jammu.
After a day-long break, the foot march started as per schedule around 7 am from Hiranagar near the International Border along the Jammu-Pathankot highway which was sealed by police and other security forces.
Accompanied by J-K Pradesh Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani, working president Raman Bhalla and hundreds of volunteers carrying the tricolour, Gandhi entered Samba district’s Tapyal-Gagwal after crossing Londi check point at around 8 am and was greeted by enthusiastic workers and supporters waiting on both sides of the road.
After covering about 25-km distance, the march will have a night halt at Chak Nanak before restarting from Samba’s Vijaypur for Jammu, where it will reach on Monday.
Officials said adequate security arrangements are in place for Gandhi with police, CRPF and other security agencies keeping a tight vigil to ensure a peaceful march.
Security has been further beefed up across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of twin bomb blasts in Narwal area on the outskirts of Jammu city on Saturday, that left nine people injured.
Police suspect that IEDs were used to carry out the twin explosions in an SUV parked in a repair shop and in a vehicle at a nearby junkyard at Transport Nagar area of Narwal.
The terror attack comes at a time when security agencies in the region are on high alert in the wake of the Yatra of the Congress and the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.

The march started from Kanyakumari on September 7 and entered Jammu and Kashmir from Punjab on Thursday.
The yatra is scheduled to end in Srinagar on January 30 with hoisting of national flag at Congress headquarters by Gandhi.
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#Bharat #Jodo #Yatra #resumes #tight #security #JKs #Kathua
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 22, 2023
Army Tightens Security At NH44 Ahead Of 74th Republic Day

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Udhampur, January 22: As the country turns close to celebrating its 74th Republic Day, the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir has tightened its security to keep intense watch to prevent any untoward incident in the union territory.
The 137th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has increased its strength in Udhampur and has also set up nakas to keep a check on commuting vehicles.
“In view of Republic Day, we have increased the strength and nakas have been set up. Checking of vehicles is being done. We are conducting regular search operations and are alert,” said Second-in-Command of 137th BN CRPF, Kartar Singh.
The CRPF has been keeping a strict vigil on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH 44) for ensuring smooth and secure conduct of Republic Day.
Singh further said that the patrolling of CRPF Road Opening Party (ROP) and Quick Reaction Team (QRT) vehicles have also been increased on the highways in the area.
“Round-the-clock patrolling and checking has been intensified on the national highway. The patrols have been alerted to keep a strict vigil on NH-44. The CRPF personnel deployed in the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway are fully trained to provide quick service to the passengers and help avoid Traffic Jams during the Celebration,” Kartak Singh added.
The CRPF is taking inspecting various locations along the north end of NH 44 with the help of Special Trained Dog Squads to avoid any untoward incidents.
On Friday, a Jammu and Kashmir police official said that they have tightened security in the Poonch district as well.
The security officials have deployed forces in every corner of the area to maintain safety and security, a J-K police official said on Friday.

Talking to ANI, an official Ahjaz said: “Since January 26 is ahead, we have tightened the security in the area. We have deployed forces so that no corner is left untouched.”
Speaking about the recent alleged targeted killing in the Rajouri district, the official stated, “After what happened in Rajouri, the security and safety of the citizens have become important. Therefore, we are on our toes for the protection of our people and those coming here.”
Ahjaz further emphasised that they conduct a yearly drill in the area anyway to ensure the security of the citizens.
“We often undertake surprise visits to some areas we find suspicious, we check cars and other vehicles. On a personal level as well, we undertake checkings so that we are assured that there is nothing to be concerned about,” he added.
On January 17, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh chaired a meeting to review the crime and security scenario of the Valley.–(ANI)
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#Army #Tightens #Security #NH44 #Ahead #74th #Republic #Day
( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

January 22, 2023
J&K’s security grid on high alert ahead of R-Day, BJY

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Srinagar, Jan 21: Jammu and Kashmir’s security grid has been put on a high alert in the wake of upcoming Republic Day and the ensuing Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) while as frisking has been intensified in Srinagar, Jammu, highways, and sensitive areas of the Union Territory (UT).
A senior police official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that for the R-Day, security grid has been tightened and forces including police and CRPF have been deployed across the UT and all sorts of arrangements are in place to ensure smooth passage of all official functions of January 26.
“This time around, we have a double challenge—one of R-Day and another of BJY. Extra deployments have been made wherever necessary and all security agencies have been directed to maintain a highest level of alertness to foil the evil designs,” the official said, wishing not to be named.
BJY led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has already entered Jammu and is scheduled to reach Srinagar on January 30
He said that all vigil is being maintained on the highways, sensitive areas and in all major cities and towns. “In Jammu city, deployment has been made for both R-day and the BJY while similar arrangements have been put in place in Srinagar district,” the officer said.
Eye-witnesses told KNO that in Jammu city, police and paramilitary CRPF men have launched massive frisking operations while a close watch is being maintained on the suspects. In Srinagar, police including the women police and CRPF have started intense frisking operations with commuters travelling on four-wheelers and two-wheelers being frisked thoroughly. “I was travelling from Pantha Chowk to Sonwar and was stopped by CRPF men. I was asked to show the I-D card. The CRPF men also took my photograph and when I asked why he took the snap, he replied that he had to show it to his superior,” said Showkat Ahmed, a resident of Pantha Chowk.
Police sources said that as part of the heightened security grid for peaceful conduct of R-Day and BJY, all the CCTVs have been made functional in Srinagar and in all districts of Kashmir and movement of vehicles, pedestrians is being closely watched from the respective control rooms of police. A police source said that it was likely to go for aerial surveillance through drones in Srinagar and Jammu on January 26 to maintain aerial vigil. “We may use drones a day ahead of R-Day,” he said. “Night patrolling is also being conducted in several areas of Kashmir and Jammu.”
Many other commuters and auto-drivers said that they were stopped at multiple points from Dalgate to Lal Chowk and thoroughly frisked. The main R-Day function will be held at Jammu where LG Manoj Sinha will unfurl the tri-colour. In Srinagar, LG’s advisor, Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar will take the salute of the parade and also hoist the national flag. Pertinently, LG Sinha told reporters at Zewan, Srinagar on January 20, that elaborate security arrangements have been made to facilitate BJY. Earlier, DGP Dilbagh Singh had stated that all security measures were in place for the smooth conduct of all official functions on R-Day eve across the UT—(KNO)

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( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

January 21, 2023
Top Russia official threatens West with ‘global catastrophe’ over weapons to Ukraine

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Continued deliveries of arms to Ukraine by its allies in the West will lead to retaliation with “more powerful weapons,” a top official in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime said on Sunday.
Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia’s lower house, the State Duma, threatened Europe and the U.S. with “global catastrophe” over their continued military support to the government in Kyiv, which is trying to continue retaking territory it lost in the Russian invasion.
Volodin directly invoked the use of nuclear weapons in his statement over messaging app Telegram.
“Arguments that the nuclear powers have not previously used weapons of mass destruction in local conflicts are untenable. This is because these states have not faced a situation in which the security of their citizens and the territorial integrity of their countries were threatened,” the Russian official wrote in his social media post.
The threat comes amid arguments over whether Germany will send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion. Kyiv has requested the German-made tanks, which it says it needs to renew its counteroffensive against Moscow’s forces. But Berlin has so far resisted the call from Ukraine and its allies to send the tanks without the U.S. making the first move, over fears of an escalation in the conflict.
Berlin also hasn’t approved deliveries of the tanks from its allies, as Germany gets a final say over any re-exports of the vehicles from countries that have purchased them.
Newly appointed German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is planning a trip to Ukraine, which could come in the next month, German newspaper Bild, a sister publication of POLITICO in the Axel Springer Group, reported on Sunday, citing an interview. Asked about the Leopard tanks, Pistorius said: “We are in very close dialogue on this issue with our international partners, above all with the U.S.”
In his Telegram post, Russia’s Volodin said: “With their decisions, Washington and Brussels are leading the world to a terrible war … foreign politicians making such decisions need to understand that this could end in a global tragedy that will destroy their countries.”

It’s not the first time that top Russian politicians threaten a nuclear escalation. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has invoked the use of nuclear weapons more than once since the outbreak of the conflict 11 months ago.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 21, 2023
Erdoğan says Turkey won’t support Sweden’s NATO bid

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Sweden should not expect Turkey’s support for its NATO membership bid, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday following tensions over anti-Islam protests in Stockholm over the weekend.
He said at a press conference that if Sweden does not show respect to Turkey or Muslims, “they won’t see any support from us on the NATO issue.”
The statement follows protests against Turkey and in support of Kurds on Saturday in the Swedish capital, where anti-immigrant politician Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish embassy.
Erdoğan said Monday the burning was an insult, especially to Muslims, and criticized Sweden for allowing pro-Kurdish protests where demonstrators waved flags including those of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK. The PKK is considered a terrorist group in Turkey, the European Union and the United States, but Sweden does not ban its symbols.
“So you will let terror organizations run wild on your avenues and streets and then expect our support for getting into NATO. That’s not happening,” Erdoğan said. Sweden should have calculated the consequences of permitting the demonstration, he added.
Over the weekend, Turkey condemned the demonstration as “vile” and canceled a planned visit by Sweden’s defense chief to Ankara, intended to address Turkey’s objections to Sweden joining NATO.
Ankara had already previously dragged its feet on pledging support for the accession bid, seeking conditions for approval such as the extradition of 130 political opponents from Sweden and Finland.
Sweden has played down the dispute with Turkey over NATO accession, with Foreign Minister Tobias Billström saying in a TV interview on Sunday that the issues are nearly resolved and that Turkey is “close” to starting the ratification process, after he called the Quran-burning “appalling” in a tweet on Saturday.

Sweden, together with Finland, decided to apply together for NATO membership in October last year. Hungary and Turkey are the only two countries that still need to ratify the joint NATO bid; Hungary last November pledged to do so.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 21, 2023
Hyderabad: Enhancing visibility, approachability, says Rachakonda security council

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Hyderabad: Rachakonda Security Council chairman D S Chauhan addressed his first meeting of the Rachakonda Security Council (RKSC) here on Saturday and expressed his happiness over its progress.
Stating that RKSC will be a good channel to strengthen governance within the Rachakonda limits, Chauhan emphasized the need of staying in touch with ground realities.
“Work towards enhancing visibility, spreading awareness and brand image on the approachability, arrest the issue at the grass root level,” he said.
On women’s safety, Chauhan said that awareness and building confidence in women should be implemented.
On cyberbullying and crimes, he said asked the cyber safety team to present a pictorial form to specify the DOs and Dont’s to people as well as motivate them to stay connected with the physical world as much as possible.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 21, 2023