Karnataka - Gulbarga   

‘There is no threat of naxals disrupting polls’

GULBARGA: Superintendent of Police B.A. Padmanayan has said that there is no threat of naxalites disrupting campaigning and polling in Gulbarga.

The Lok Sabha election will be held in the district on April 23.

Participating in an interactive programme on preparations to conduct orderly elections here on Thursday, Mr. Padmanayan said that the police were aware of the call given by naxalites to boycott the Lok Sabha elections and the letter reportedly written to the media in Raichur district on Wednesday.

He said, “As of now there is no threat by naxalites or any other group. We will keep a vigil on the erstwhile naxalite-dominated areas in Gulbarga district as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incidents.”

Mr. Padmanayan said the district was likely to get two companies of Central forces and the required number of Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel to ensure peaceful and fair elections in the district.

He said that on March 21 an inter-State coordination meeting was held between the Superintendents of Police of Gulbarga and Bidar districts in Karnataka and Superintendents of Police of Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy and Medak districts in Andhra Pradesh.

A decision was taken to establish joint check-posts on the borders to prevent illegal transportation of liquor and bogus voters from one State to the other.

The officials also exchanged information about inter-State criminals. The Deputy Inspector-Generals of the Nizamabad and the Hyderabad ranges also participated in the meeting, he said.

Mr. Padmanayan said a similar meeting would be held with the Superintendents of Police of Solapur and Osmanabad to establish joint check-posts along the Karnataka-Maharashtra border.

He said that as a precautionary measure, the district police had taken 70 persons with criminal background into preventive custody and obtained personal bonds to the effect that they would not create any trouble during the election.

To a question, Mr. Padmanayan said that the district police would keep a close watch in Aland and Afzalpur taluks which were known for production and distribution of illicit liquor. Raids would be conducted along with the officials of the Excise Department, he added.

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