By TCN Staff Writer,
New Delhi: Without mentioning Hindutva terror groups found involved of late in various terror blasts in the country, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today patted the National Investigative Agency (NIA) for “unraveling the activities of new terror groups.” NIA was raised after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
“I am happy to note that the National Investigative Agency, that was raised after the 26/11 terror attack gained much ground in unearthing the Fake Indian Currency Notes networks operating from across our borders and in unraveling the activities of new terror groups,” said the PM.
PM Dr. Manmohan Singh delivering the inaugural address at the Chief Ministers’ Conference, in New Delhi on February 01, 2011. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and other dignitaries are also seen
Addressing the Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security here in the national capital on 1st Feb. 2011, the PM also complimented Union Home Minister P Chidambaram – who took charge from Shivraj Patil after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack of 2008 – and his team “for their proactive role in matters of internal security.”
Working mostly on the leads provided by slain Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case, Chidambaram and his team – NIA, CBI and intelligence agencies that had earlier carried out biased terror probes – nabbed several Hindutva terrorists influenced and trained by still free Abhinav Bharat extremist group. Karkare had arrested group’s hardcore members Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya and others for the September 2008 blast in the Muslim dominated Maharashtra town of Malegaon. Later many others from the same group and RSS were arrested in Ajmer Dargah blast and Mecca Masjid blast cases. And now RSS pracharak and terror mastermind Swami Aseemanand has confessed his role and the involvement of many other Sanghi terrorists in the blasts at Mecca Masjid, Malegaon serial blasts of 2006, Ajmer Dargah and Samjhauta Express.
PM Dr. Manmohan Singh at the inauguration of Chief Ministers’ Conference, in New Delhi on February 01, 2011. Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister, A. K. Antony, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mullappally Ramachandran and other dignitaries are also seen
“I compliment my colleague the Union Home Minister and his team for their proactive role in matters of internal security,” said the PM while expressing satisfaction that the past year of 2010 was relatively peaceful in terms of terror attacks and communal violence.
“As far as communal tensions are concerned, the situation that prevailed in 2010 gives us reason for satisfaction. I would like to mention here the tremendous restraint shown by all sections of our society in the wake of the court judgement in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits. The response to the judgement by and large was mature, respectful and dignified. Otherwise also, no major communal incident was reported from anywhere in the country in 2010. There was a steep fall in the number of terror attacks also during the previous year, with only two incidents at Pune and Varanasi.”
The Prime Minister also asked the police to be sensitive to the problems of marginalized sections including minorities.
Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram delivering the opening address at the Chief Ministers’ Conference
“I would also like to emphasize the need for our police officers to be specially sensitive to the problems faced by the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women and elderly citizens. It is a shame for all of us that atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes still continue to exist in our country. It is the duty of our police officers to ensure that no case of atrocity against these under privileged groups goes unpunished. Like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, most of the women in our country also do not have a voice. They are often at the receiving end of violence which our society condones and sometimes even sanctions.”
He urged states to consider reforms in police forces.
“We cannot continue to police our society with archaic laws and policing systems. We are aware that many Police Commissions have made various recommendations on police reforms. I urge the states to seriously look into this aspect. I would like the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry forward this exercise to its logical conclusion in the Union Territory of Delhi during the coming years so that Delhi Police becomes a model for other state police forces to emulate.”
[Photos Courtesy: PIB]