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| India-Pakistan |
| Pak-based terror groups eyeing Lok Sabha polls: Intel |
| 2009-03-19 |
| Security is being tightened throughout the country after agencies sounded an alarm about Pakistan-based terror groups plotting to target Indian leaders in the run-up to the general elections. Top level government sources said there had been a greater amount of "chatter" among Pakistan-based terror groups against top leaders of Indian political parties. "The aim apparently is to target certain leaders", whose deaths or injury would cause the greatest amount of upheaval in India. They include Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, L K Advani, Narendra Modi, J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah and Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa. The intercepts, which confirm that Pakistan was yet to start a clampdown on terrorist groups using its territory to attack India, have jolted authorities to provide all leaders under "Z+" cover with additional security. Home minister P Chidambaram had recently acknowledged the threat of terrorists targeting politicians on the campaign trail. Electioneering, when leaders are forced to reach out to people, disregarding the precautions they are required to take, can be a security risk for them, providing the sniper the room to take aim and the suicide bomber to reach the target. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed while campaigning in Tamil Nadu in the 1991 Lok Sabha elections. More recently, Benazir Bhutto was killed because of an explosion set off by a suicide bomber at an election rally. The central government on Wednesday sent out a fresh advisory to all state governments to increase security at political rallies and meetings, especially those where leaders were going to be present. In a message sent to directors general of police, the home ministry said all necessary steps like securing neighbouring high-rise buildings, manual frisking, putting door-framed metal detectors and total sanitisation of the place must be carried out in letter and spirit at all rallies where top leaders would attend. Besides, political parties have also been asked to pass all information pertaining to travel plan and rallies of prominent leaders to the state police concerned. Sources in the ministry said the state police would, in turn, pass on the information to the Centre for coordination with intelligence and security agencies. The Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) will also coordinate with subsidiaries in the states, which receive information from their intelligence outfits. Election times present leaders who face terror threats with a dilemma. The risk facing them requires the scaling up of security measures, but many of them are loath to follow the drill for fear of being seen as removed from their constituency. Rajeev Gandhi's assassination is a case in point. The former PM often disregarded security agencies to mingle with the crowd, following widespread criticism that the security detail guarding him walled him off from people. The new security bandobast will involve close coordination with state police and intelligence network. The ministry also asked states to ensure installation of CCTV cameras at rallies and political meetings, all over the venue and not just at the dais. Effort is also being made to sensitise political parties to the risk. They have been asked to inform the security agencies about VVIP movement well in advance for them to be security compliant. These rules, they insisted, would have to be followed. The government is also setting up an elaborate security system of Indian missions in "sensitive" countries after the Indian embassy in Kabul was hit by a suicide bomber in July 2008. Missions in countries on India's periphery will be initially secured before taking the process to other parts of the world. |
| Posted by:Fred |