Indian
Govt admits intelligence gaps, to strengthen security
Admitting that there were "gaps" in the intelligence set
up, Government on Thursday said it will take a number of steps,
including strengthening laws and setting up a National Investigation
Agency (NIA) to insulate the country from terror strikes like in
Mumbai.
In a suo-motu statement in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister P Chidambaram
said that the government has decided to set up a Coastal Command
for overall security of 7,500-km coast-line and create NSG hubs
in various parts of the country as part of measures to make the
protective system more effective.
He said the government proposes to bring a set of Bills "to
strengthen the legal provisions relating to the prevention, investigation,
prosecution and punishment of terror acts".
The government was in the process of consulting political parties
in this regard. "I would urge this House to consider and pass
these bills in this session," Chidambaram said.
An identical statement was made by Minister of State for Home Sriprakash
Jaiswal in the Rajya Sabha.
"Intelligence gathering requires human resources and technical
resources. We have identified the gaps," Chidambaram said.
Separate debate on Assam terror strikes, PM assures RS
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday gave an assurance in
Rajya Sabha that a debate on terror strikes in Assam would be held
separately, as they were as "dastardly" as the Mumbai
attacks.
Dr Singh had to intervene as a couple of MPs from Assam briefly
interrupted the ongoing debate on Mumbai terror attacks in Rajya
Sabha.
"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," he said.
Soon after Chairman Hamid Ansari announced that the Question Hour
has been set aside for a discussion on terror attacks in Mumbai,
Assam Gana Parishad members were up on their feet demanding widening
of the scope of the debate to include terror strikes in Assam.
Ansari said members were free to raise issues regarding all terror
strikes in the country during the debate.
Soon after this, Minister of State for Home Affairs Shriprakash
Jaisawal made a suo moto statement on the Mumbai terror attacks.
The AGP members were again up on their feet as the statement did
not have any mention of recent terror strikes in Assam, prompting
the Prime Minister's intervention.(AKS-
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