By TCN Staff Writer,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh while addressing the Annual Conference of DGPs/IGPs in New Delhi today did not mention saffron terror – the issue raised by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram before the same audience yesterday. HM had spoken out, PM skipped.
Addressing top police officers from across the country, the Home Minister had admitted saffron terror is a new phenomenon and threat that security agencies should be aware of. His point was in the light of recent arrest of people affiliated to Sangh Parivar in several terror blast cases including Ajmer Dargah, Malegaon and Mecca Masjid.
The BJP was fast to attack the HM, saying reference to Hindutva terror was to divert the attention of nation from the issues looking into the face of the ruling regime. Expectedly the PM today did not touch the issue except his mention that the 2009 was relatively calm but threat of extremism looming large.
“After a relative lull in 2009, the challenges to our internal security seem to have re-emerged in more virulent forms. While we have made good progress in terms of recruitment and setting up of better institutional arrangements for intelligence, investigation, coastal security and counter-terrorism, the problems we face remain daunting. We need to do much more to meet the challenge of Naxalism,” PM Dr Manmohan Singh said.
On Kashmir, the PM made a loud call for use of non-lethal measures to control crowd.
“Despite the curtailment of militant activities in Jammu & Kashmir, the public order dimension in the state has become a cause for serious concern. We need to revisit standard operating procedures and crowd control measures to deal with public agitations with non-lethal, yet effective and more focused measures,” the PM said. He called for setting up a task force to come out with recommendations on the issue.
“The experience begun successfully by the Rapid Action Force for non-lethal crowd control needs to be examined for being followed by other police forces as well. I hope these aspects would engage your attention. I would request the Hon’ble Home Minister to establish a high-power task force to come out with a set of recommendations on these issues in the next 2 / 3 months.”
The three-day police conference will end today.