By IANS,
New Delhi : Describing the situation in the northeast as “grave”, Home Minister P. Chidambarm told parliament Wednesday that militancy in the region needs to be tackled “in a more comprehensive manner” than in other parts of the country.
“It is a grave situation. It is very serious,” he said during question hour in the Rajya Sabha
“It is not just a question of raising an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). It (militancy in the northeast) has to be addressed in a more comprehensive manner. Indian insurgent groups seek shelter across the border (in Bangladesh).
“The issue has wider ramifications. We will have to come up with a more comprehensive plan,” the minister added.
Chidambaram’s remarks came in response to a supplementary from Murali Manohar Joshi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the steps the government had taken on the prime minister’s suggestion for creating a separate ATS for the northeast.
The situation in the northeast is likely to figure in the Rajya Sabha before the house adjourns Dec 23 following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assurance that a debate on terror strikes in Assam would be held separately as they were as “dastardly” as the Mumbai attacks.
Singh’s assurance Dec 11 came after some MPs from Assam briefly interrupted a debate on the Mumbai terror attacks.
“Incidents in Assam are as dastardly as the terror attacks in Mumbai, but the debate should not be disrupted. They can bring Assam separately in a debate,” Manmohan Singh had said.