By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Thursday said the central government’s approach towards tackling terrorism was “very superficial and perfunctory” and it lacked the “desired will and determination” to stamp out the scourge.
Addressing a press conference, Mayawati said, “If the centre was sincere about crushing terror, it must strike at the root of the menace, but sadly its entire approach was very superficial and perfunctory.”
Suggesting a three-point formula to tackle terrorism, the chief minister said: “First, we need to tighten vigil across India’s poorly secured borders, because of which infiltration by terrorists had become easy; and the state of alertness along the surrounding water was even worse as demonstrated in the unhindered access that the attackers of Mumbai got from the sea.”
Flaying the centre for “poor intelligence services”, she said: “The second thing that needs to be taken up urgently is strengthening the entire intelligence machinery at the national level.”
Lastly, “there is also urgent need go modernise the police force in all states including Uttar Pradesh, where the police are ill-equipped to combat terrorists, who are far better placed with modern and most sophisticated weapons”, Mayawati maintained.
Mayawati also placed yet another financial demand before the central government, saying: “No state has sufficient resources to carry out the required modernisation of their respective police forces; as such Utar Pradesh has sought special financial assistance for the purpose from the centre.”
“We have already shot off a letter to the centre in this regard, but their response is still awaited,” she added, declining to divulge how much she had demanded.
On the central government’s proposal to set up a unified federal agency to combat terror, Mayawati felt “such a force should be set up only after inviting suggestions from various state governments, without which it would be a futile exercise.
“Considering that this is a crucial decision involving the nation’s supreme interest, consultation with state governments and their consensus should be a must before finalising anything with regard to a federal agency,” the chief minister added.