‘Time to get tough with anti-social elements’

But I also believe that the time has come to shed our lenient policies and tackle the anti-social elements head on. Politicians should take the first step in this context by rising above religion and caste-based politics to appease a section of society. How many times would we call the Army to carry out anti-terrorist operations? The politicians should understand that there is a need to strengthen the civil security infrastructure. For God’s sake, stop misusing government machinery, such as intelligence agencies and the police, for furthering your vested interests. The politicians should wake up to the fact that an election can be won by appeasing a particular group but the consequences have to be suffered by the next generation.

Rather than spending time spying on a political group, the state police and intelligence agencies should be given a free hand to counter terrorism. Let them raid all places, including madarasas, mandirs, churches and gurdwaras, to flush out terrorists. And at such times, politicians should refrain from flaring up the issue into a conflagration. We should all understand that it is precisely this kind of dirty politics that has resulted in the most audacious attack on Mumbai.

The government’s failure to tackle the gangster, Dawood Abrahim, has given him the audacity that he now helps anti-India elements to carry out blasts in the country.

There is a need to revamp the country’s internal security system. The police, along with the Army, should chalk out a plan to flush out anti-national elements from within the country. The Army has the infrastructure, manpower and strategy and the police can provide intelligence and local support.