Centre sent alert in Feb,says PC; unjustified,replies UP

P Chidambarams claim that the Centre had issued a specific advisory about a terror threat to Varanasis Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Countering Home Minister P Chidambarams claim that the Centre had issued a specific advisory about a terror threat to Varanasis Dashashwamedh Ghat on February 25 next to the site of yesterdays blast the UP government said today that the year-old alert was neither specific nor actionable.

An infant was killed and 39 people were injured in the blast.

Chidambaram,who arrived in Varanasi this morning,said: I am not here to do a jugalbandi to blame anyone,but specific advisories were given… It is for the government of UP to realise that it is first the responsibility of the state government to maintain law and order. Police and public order are state subjects, he said.

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He had hoped that after the Pune blast,the year 2010 would pass off peacefully,the Home Minister said,adding that there should be no laxity, and that law and order authorities should remain ever vigilant. Chidambaram visited the blast site and the injured in hospitals. He met Santosh Kumar,father of Swastika Sharma,the lone victim. I dont expect anything. Please save the Swastikas of the country, Santosh told the Home Minister. Chidambaram assured him of all help.

Asked about the possibility of the National Investigation Agency taking over the blast case,Chidambaram said: That would depend on the progress of the investigation by the UP police. If UP police make progress,there would be no need for NIA probe this case.

Hours later,speaking on behalf of Chief Minister Mayawati,Cabinet Secretary Sashank Shekhar Singh hit back: Holding the state government responsible for the blast is not justified. Be it the blast at Varanasi,Mumbai,Delhi or Ahmedabad,state governments are not competent to tackle the menace of terror until the Centre,rising above partisan politics,provides adequate resources,equipment,modern arms and ammunition to the states.

Admitting hat the state had received the last major intelligence input for Varanasi on February 25,the Cabinet Secretary said,Expecting that nearly a year-old alert is an actionable intelligence input is not justified.

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He added that two general alerts were also issued by the Centre regarding the anniversaries of 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6. Those alerts were general in nature to maintain a vigil on these two days, he said. Mere issuing an advisory and a general alert by the Centre is not enough to counter the threat posed by terrorists,he said.

Chief Minister Mayawati wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding 125 companies of paramilitary forces so that permanent arrangements could be made for the security of religious and tourist places.

Claiming that there was no laxity on the part of the UP police in Varanasi,Singh said that,as a routine exercise,the ghats where Ganga Arti is held every evening are sanitised by the police at 5 pm and this was done on the day of the blast as well. A large number of devotees and tourists throng the ghat to participate in Arti and it is not possible to regulate the influx of the people,the Cabinet Secretary said.

Singh said the UP government was competent to handle the law and order in the state. With limited resources at its disposal,the state government maintained peace and harmony after the Allahabad High Court delivered its verdict on the Ayodhya issue on September 30,and it also made a positive impact across the nation,he said. (with ENS,Lucknow)