Home Minister accedes to Tejasvi Surya’s request in light of terror activities in city
NEW DELHI:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured MP Tejasvi Surya that a Permanent Station House of the NIA would be set up in Bengaluru soon.
Surya, the newly-nominated president of the BJP’s youth wing, told reporters here on Sunday that he had met the Home Minister at the latter’s residence and stressed the need for an NIA branch office in Bengaluru.
“It is a matter of grave concern that NIA investigations into the DJ Halli and KG Halli mob violence in August indicated that many terrorist organisations are using Bengaluru as an incubation centre for carrying out anti-India activities,” Surya said in a statement. “That being the case, it’s also important to empower the investigating agency, the NIA, with adequate infrastructure and personnel to conduct its probe into terror-related activities in Karnataka,” he said. Surya observed that the NIA is currently operating with skeletal staff and that too from Hyderabad, with only a camp office in Bengaluru.
“Bengaluru being the financial nerve centre of South India, it is vital to keep the city safe from all terrorist and anti-India organisations and their activities. An NIA investigation in March 2020 revealed that 4 terror accused in Bengaluru helped ISIS member Khaja Mohideen procure weapons and material for establishing a base in the forests of South India, for waging a violent jihad in India. My request for a regional branch office of the NIA was made in this background,” Surya said.
