Chidambaram says there were no intelligence inputs on possibility of such a coordinated terror attack
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday that he could not find words to condemn the barbaric acts of terror here that killed and injured innocent people.
Dr. Singh, who arrived here to express solidarity with Wednesday's serial blasts-hit Mumbaikars, said: “I assure the people that the government will do everything in its power to prevent such attacks in future. In the final analysis, it is the unity and strength of the people that will defeat these efforts to divide our people and destroy our civilized way of life.”
“I share their pain, anger”
The Prime Minister said he understood the shock and outrage of the people of Mumbai. “I share their pain, anguish and anger. I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to those who have suffered in this terrible tragedy. The need of the hour is to look after their medical and other immediate needs. I have asked the State government to ensure that all support is provided so that these families can overcome the tragedy and rebuild their lives.”
Dr. Singh had announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 1 lakh for those seriously injured.
He said the Central and State governments acted quickly to deal with the situation. He asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to continue to coordinate their efforts and resources to relentlessly pursue the perpetrators. They must be brought to justice quickly and be subject to the rule of law that they have sought to subvert. “We owe this to the grieving families.”
The Prime Minister had a meeting with Mr. Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, State Home Minister R.R. Patil and top police officials and reviewed the situation.
Later, accompanied by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, Dr. Singh visited the J.J. Hospital and the Saifee hospital and met the victims.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chidambaram described the blasts as an unfortunate incident. He said there were no intelligence inputs on the possibility of such a coordinated terror attack.
“There were no intelligence inputs to the Central or the State agencies about any imminent attack in Mumbai. This does not mean a failure of intelligence. They [perpetrators] worked in a clandestine manner. Intelligence sharing has indeed improved. We monitor inputs every day. The Maharashtra government has responded promptly to inputs,” Mr. Chidambaram said at a press conference here.
The Home Minister, who visited all the three blast sites, said the blasts could be in retaliation to the arrest of Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives and Maoist cadres in Maharashtra. “The Maharashtra government took successful counter-terror measures. They arrested two IM operatives and 17 cadres of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). We will probe if the blasts were in reaction to this.”
The Maharashtra police was asked “not to proceed on any kind of assumption or presupposition. All groups hostile to the country are suspect. We will not point fingers at the moment. All angles will be investigated, all premises examined and all leads followed.” No group had claimed responsibility so far. As for the government, they assumed a “collective responsibility” for the attack.
Forensic evidence
The Centre had dispatched teams of the National Security Guard, the National Investigation Agency and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory. “They all reached Mumbai and are working with the ATS [Anti-Terrorism Squad] and the Crime Branch.
“Forensic evidence pertaining to the nature of the explosive, the trigger of timer mechanism, the container in which the explosive was kept and the damage caused, is being gathered. The Maharashtra Forensic Science Laboratory has collected relevant forensic evidence. The three sites have been cordoned off and barricaded. It was not a remotely triggered bomb,” he said.
The Home Minister said that after 26/11, Mumbai was “reasonably secure.” “This incident has taken place after 31 months of 26/11. Before that we had the Pune attack of February 2010. This shows Mumbai and Maharashtra have developed increased capacity. They have successfully neutralised a large number of terrorist threats and potential attacks.”
“It is sad that this is the second incident after 26/11 in India and in Maharashtra. The attacks have been carried out by cowardly forces hostile to the integrity and prosperity of India.”
Mr. Chavan announced that the government would bear the medical costs for the victims at private hospitals. The government had also announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the family of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for those injured.
Multiple blasts hit Mumbai
Comments:
The lives of ordinary citizens do not get the deserved attention. Mr. Chidambaram keeps telling that "There were no intelligence inputs to the Central or the State agencies about any imminent attack in Mumbai. This does not mean a failure of intelligence". So this attack is the success of intelligence? Irresposnible attitude & speech. Are we really capable of protecting our own citizens? Let the Govt give back 50% of the tax to the communicty itself so that they can create their own protection force(witout political intervention) to save innocents from the onslaught. The politicians should feel tha pain .
I am reminded of Churchill's saying that everything possible had been done to protect his majesty and inspite of that if something happens, it will have to be accepted as 'Divine Dispensation '. Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram can also seek refuge under 'Divine Dispensation' and dispense Compensation which is done whenever such events and calamities happen! There is no such thing as impregnable security with arms, ammunition and materaial to make improvised explosive devices and wireless timing gear are ubiquitous in the world inspite of Regulations! We just have to take as much carwe as possible and move on.
Union Home Minister Chidambaram says "there were no intelligence inputs on possibility of such a coordinated terror attack" while the Prime Minister wows 'Government will do everything to prevent attacks'. Does it mean that the Government did not do much to prevent the recent attacks or it will be able to prevent such attacks only when there is an intelligent input? Either way, the statements are not reassuring and is a weak response. It is time for change at the center to have a resolve to fight this evil act and deal firmly such crisis.
Such a terror strike would have been averted at any cost.If the govt. admitted intelligence failure, they must put some machinery to act now on with such efficiency that they need not claim a drawback in the war of terror.After all in the present scenario of world affairs the war is mostly fought with terror attacks.If any country is attacked at all it is,as it is said,to counter the attack of terrorism.So why should you accept defeat at the first place?
My sincere condolences to the familes of dead. Mumbai people had so much bombs in the last 10 years that the whole generation will never forget this incidents.Also,People of Mumbai are very strong, getting up to normal duties next day. But the governements need to provide more emergency facillites in the city like hospitals,ambulances,efficient procedures and training to all goverment staff so they know how to act in times like this. Imgaine if the mumbai was to be hit by Earth quake will the goverment hospitals cope with the patients. Central government should spend few hundred crores to build new hospitals and to equip mumbai police with more arms and personnel. No need for this politicans to visit the mumbai, save that money and spend it on preventing further attacks.
It is high time that government trained its police and other security people in constant vigilance against terrorism. They should work with healthy skepticism all the time. There should be education of the public through media about steps they should take to detect suspicious people and activities, and to take precautionary steps during and after an attack. Since terrorists live in neighborhoods, move with the rest of the common people, buy ingredients at common stores, and visit vulnerable spots like innocent people, neighbors should be trained to detect the unusual in the usual and to provide tips to security people.
Clean and grabage free crowed areas watched by CCTVs at every possible angle and the habit of extreme vigilance by every member of the public , especially the usual persons of the locale, for unknown objects, people and stange happenings could only be the best shield against bomb blasts... Even a suicide bomber may make some reconnaissance mission before the actuals !
If Govt is serious of doing everything, then the first thing they should do is take responsibility and step down.
Hon'ble Prime Minister, My humble request you to please don't issue condolences and rub salt on wounds of victims. Just leave them alone. That will suffice. They don't need your hackneyed condolence.
When will the govt. stop talking in the future tense - like we 'will fight' against terror or inflation or corruption or prevent train accidents? These leaders feel nothing what people are suffering from. Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches .
The PM's reassurances do not carry weight, as he & his team has consistantly non-performed in these situations, as well as railway accidents.The performance after last terrorist attack too pathetic.The PM and his team routinely condemn "all forms" of violence. Great indeed. Always praise Mumbaiker's sense of tranquility in these situations thanks to intelligence failure .The advice to remain calm to Mumbaikers in these times looks too great.Poor Mumbaiker, he has to pray to God only as his Govt failed in all aspects of his welfare safety & security. These days I feel we had a leader with the stature of Indira Gandhi. Cry my beloved country.
Govt. must install complete CCTV surveillance in cities like Mumbai which are prone to such attacks. Many of the foreign contries are installed with most modern surveillance tools and keep a good watch on it to ensure public safety.
Government will only say...do nothing. Stop lying, Mr. Prime Minister! When your government could not clean the rot within (meaning corruption), how can we expect you to deal effectively with a multi-faceted problem like terrorism? Your police force fabricates evidence to convince us that they are working. This is what we truly deserve for voting for an inept government like yours.
PM - please leave Mumbai immediately. You are making people sick. presence of you and Sonia is enough to make half dead into dead. You and Sonia are bad omen to India. Kindly leave them alone. What were you doing since last Mumbai attacks? Sleeping or eating Briyani with Kasab?
Perennially, the political establishment has no sensitivity for human lives lost - be it congress or BJP. I dare say, we, the people and the political system have become used to 'statistics' lost and ' Move on'. It is unfortunate for those people who lost their near and dear ones, that they are born in India. Any other civilised society will pursue all reasonable means and persist to improve safety, security and living standards. Not here. Not in this country. Sentence yet to be effected for Kasab, 3 yrs after 26/11. Kabul hijackers - totally forgotten. 285 lives lost in rail accidents last year. 140 on average every year, since last decade. Is any rail minister bothered? Moral responsibility to drive change? 4th such attack in Mumbai... How come US ensured none since 9/11? Disaster response funds ? lost in some tender system somewhere. Thank God for Bollywood and cricket. They help the country stay sane keep us dreaming rather?
Mr. Prime Minister we will believe you when you say "I share their pain, anger" only if the rulers action matches the words. If most people display utter cynicism of the political leaders promises it is not for nothing. The fore most visible action required form the leaders is to forthwith define the role of the police. Today police forces of the country command no confidence of the people as it has become a tool for ruling dis-pension to do their bidding, devil take the people welfare. In Bangalore it is a common sight to see the police on security duty of houses of ex minister current minsters and all and sundry so called leaders. It no wonder the force has no time for doing their function safeguarding the public interest. Public interest demand that this obnoxious practice is put an end immediately by the Home Ministry of center and states to release the police for the functions they are supposed to do.
I second what Rahul said. Every developed country has a network of cctv footages monitored 24/7 at various control rooms. Anything suspicious is reported to police immediately, preventing such attacks.
Congress is clever enough to woo the Muslim voters by bringing in a anti-communal violence bill that looks suspiciously at the Hindus while it has intention to bring in anti-terrorism bill after repealing TADA. This is self-evident from the Congress greed to keep the minorities happy as going after the Jehadist terror could upset the Congress applecart. Manmohan Singh is not only extremely weak but is also harming this nation with his dubious message.
Stop blaming Government. It is the duty of Each and Every citizen to keep a close eye on the activities of the terrorist. My humble request to the court of law is to punish the terrorist severely.
Present govt. do nothing concrete on terrorism except shedding crocodiles tear.The terrorists finds India a soft target.They know that nothing will happen to them because those who have been punished are enjoying in jail and govt. is spending croresof money for their secruty.Govt even after 10 years their term has not come.This is sad story of our functioning.
I'm amazed how the government only talks in abstractions in situations like these.. No tangible measures or that what are the improvements they have brought in over the last 3 years..!
There is an urgency to move beyond politcal rhetorics and look into the deeper issues underlying terrorism. We need to ask a very painful question: Why are such attacks periodically unleashed on the common people? An open and radical probing into this painful question may provide cues to coming to terms with the complex reality of terrorism.
I don't think so that anyone can share their anger and pain.The victims who have lost their loved ones who wil never come back.None can compensate for it.Govt should take a firm action for it rather than promising.Govt will do everything on the contrary when will they do???
I'd like to ask Mr Manmohan Singh what his government will do to stop the attacks by his government on the people of India (Ramdev&co, Jaitapur) and what he will do about terrorizing them with threats of planting nuclear power plants all over the country. Till today there is no scientific or non-scientific method of handling a meltdown as the International Atomic Agency has itself admitted that it may take decades to remove the melted fuel in Fukushima and that too only if the technology is found by then to do so. Chernobyl's meltdown occurred on human error, not a tsunami or earthquake. Just a simple human error of supercriticality led to the meltdown. Russia still needs 100 billion dollars to cover the temporary cover.Japan needs $260 billion projected for clean-up and radio-active cesium is everywhere upto 400 kilometres away. How can we trust this govt regarding safety when it has packed it's rule with scams and lies? And NPCIL who blatantly lies everything is normal at Fukushima?
the havoc is a repercussion of dereliction of duty and abnegation of responsibility by govt.The Blasts are not a rare occurence in history, it has infiltrated our security and intelligence in past. But the government never took this severe issue never seriously on a long term basis.Even govt has acclimatized itself accordingly to this.Few arrestes based on some weak & partial information, some random people has been tagged with culprit and rest of the case is closed. So one thing is very well understood from events of recent past,this reluctancy or ignorance of incapability or unwillingness can be omitted only if people take to the 'STREET'.
The Prime Minister or for that matter the Home Minister should talk less in such times. What the country needs is to build better counterterrorism mechanisms. Combine with new intelligence, terrorism data from the past can be an invalauable tool for reaching new insights, detecting previously unseen patterns, and sculpting and improving security policy. It is upto the Government of India and Parliament to ensure that the country assesses all relevant information to address the threat of terrorism.
We need stringent legislation in India. Here, anybody can do anything. Why nobody dares to carry out these type of activities in Saudi Arabia, where the Laws and Punishments are so stringent ? Enact such laws enhancing punishments and with provisions to attach the properties of all behind it including those abettors in India. Behind every act there will be the support and aid of local Big-Guns. Amendments are required in the Evidence Act providing full power to the Investigating agency and giving admissibility to the confessions given to them.
It is really shame. To talk like terrorism is some thing which is impossible to stop. I got shocked after reading these statements by Rahul Gandhi. If it is really impossible then How it is possible for USA after 9/11 even a single terror attack has not taken place .
Obviously only government will do but when???? Already much water has passed under through the bridge. If the govt. want's to do sincerely, they must do it before it becomes beyond control and before jeopardising the innocent lives.
In the year 2009 , the deaths due to accidental causes was 357021. This works out to around 980 deaths per day. The deaths due to terrorist attacks are horrifying, but the number of people dying per day due to accidental causes is much more than the number killed by terrorists in one year. Attack the causes of the accidental deaths and as part of the process, the scope for terrorist attacks will reduce.
@Balakrishna Shenoy - do you seriously believe that gov't has done everything it can to protect Indian citizens? If so, you are delusional.
Its time to take steps. Ensure compliance of the law. The perpetrators require fake-ids for cell-phones. Stop it. Require smugglers for explosives - Stop it. By ensuring that no law is taken as trivial, by being strict, by being disciplined, we can stop these people. Time to follow rules or change rules. We are the rulers.
When these leaders visit places and victims hit by terror, the people should come out in force and protest strongly. They might then get the message. Also no talks with Pakistan until all terror camps are shut down. Manmohan's pleas to 'calm down' are insulting and immasculating.
Security is more important than economic progress, what some one will do with economic climb if he is not alive to climb.
What is the point in giving an ex-gratia relief to the unfortunate people who lost their lives in such nefarious terrorist attacks,if the Govt. has to help the people it should ensure their safety at all times and under any circumstances.
Suppose any deceased fellow countrymen would have got a job or got married or became a father/mother just prior to the attacks then how long did his/her happiness/achievement sustained. As it is there is no security of job,health and economy of an individual,we struggle hard and very hard to survive, Mr.Prime Minister. If you think your administration should welcome terrorists and at the same time dole out the hard earned taxes to the unfortunate victims, I think as a Govt. your trying to mop the floor with the taps open. Shut down the tap, whatever it takes.
May God give peace n strength to the kin's of the deceased to reconcile their loss.
4 d terrorists I feel pity,curse of thousands of innocent and helpless people wont go in vain.