Disclose names of people accompanying PM on foreign visits: CIC

Agencies
January 29, 2018

New Delhi, Jan 29: The names of delegation members accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his foreign visits should be disclosed, Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur directed the PMO.

Mathur rejected the objection by PMO in disclosing the information on grounds of "national security".

Deciding two separate cases, Mathur, however, exempted the PMO from disclosing the names of security personnel and people linked to the security details of the prime minister.

"The commission is of the view that the name/list of non-government persons (having no connection with the security) who had accompanied the prime minister on his international visits... should be provided to the appellant," he said.

The cases came before the Central Information Commission - the final appellate authority in matters related to Right to Information - after applicants Neeraj Sharma and Ayub Ali did not receive a proper response to their applications seeking details of delegation members accompanying the prime minister on his foreign visits.

Sharma had sought the list of CEOs of private business, owners or partners, private business officials etc who accompanied Prime Minister Modi on his international visits.

Ali wanted to know the details of monthly expenses of Modi's residence and office; procedure for meeting him; number of meetings held by the prime minister with public at his residence and office; number of electoral public meetings addressed by him and the government expenditure on them.

Sharma filed the RTI application in July, 2017, while Ali's application was filed before the PMO in April, 2016.

In a recent order, Mathur directed the country's top office to provide information within 30 days.

During the hearing, Sharma told Mathur that he has been informed that the list of members of delegation accompanying the prime minister on domestic and foreign tours cannot be disclosed on security grounds as the same is exempted under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act.

"(Sharma) stated that this same information was available on the website during the tenure of former prime minister Manmohan Singh," Mathur noted.

The PMO stated that details of the PM's visits are available on their website, he pointed out.

However, the names of the delegation members accompanying the prime minister on domestic and foreign visits cannot be disclosed due to security reasons as the threats differ from person to person, it said.

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News Network
November 27,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s camp is reportedly on alert as the Congress leadership tussle in the state intensifies, particularly amid speculation over the potential promotion of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah is said to be in a “wait-and-watch” mode after admitting to “confusion” earlier this week and urging the party to “put a full stop” to it.

Sources say his supporters are ready to act if senior leaders — including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi — give any indication of backing Shivakumar. If the party insists on a leadership change, Siddaramaiah’s camp has a list of alternatives, underscoring the deep rift between the two leaders. One possible candidate is Home Minister G. Parameshwara, a Siddaramaiah loyalist and influential Dalit leader.

The strategy was reportedly finalized at a meeting led by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, another Siddaramaiah supporter, who stressed that Delhi leaders need to resolve the issue. Kharge and the Gandhis are expected to meet soon, after which Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar may be summoned to Delhi.

Shivakumar has largely stayed non-confrontational, publicly endorsing Siddaramaiah and downplaying speculation about his own ambitions. However, he has made pointed comments emphasizing the importance of honoring promises, directed at Siddaramaiah.

The feud traces back to the 2023 state election, when Siddaramaiah was chosen as Chief Minister while Shivakumar, who led the party’s campaign, was made Deputy CM and state party chief — a departure from the Congress’ usual “one post per person” rule.

There were also hints of a prior understanding that Siddaramaiah would step down midway through the term. As the halfway mark passed last week, Shivakumar-aligned lawmakers have ramped up pressure on the party for a leadership change, with Shivakumar himself hinting at stepping down as state party chief to pursue the top job.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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