UP hits back after Chidambaram hints it failed to prevent blast

Countering Chidambarm’s remarks on an advisory issued to it,the Uttar Pradesh government today said there was no specific actionable intelligence from the Centre about possible terrorist activity in the city and that there was no laxity on its part.

“Holding the state responsible is not justified,” state Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told reporters.

He said,”There was no specific actionable intelligence input regarding a terrorist act in Varanasi. An alert was received on February 25 this year,but that was upto Dusshera festival (in October) only.

“Expecting that input to be specific and actionable even after Dusshera festival is not justified… Stating that the state was alerted in advance is far from reality,” Singh said.

He said that two general alerts were also issued regarding anniversaries of 26/11 Mumbai attacks and demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6.

“Those alerts were general in nature to maintain vigil on these two days,” he said.

The Cabinet secretary said there was no laxity on the part of the local police.

“As a routine exercise,ghats where Ganga aarti is held is sanitised at 5 pm every day and this exercise was carried out yesterday as well. Thus,there was no laxity yesterday,” he said.

Accusing the Centre of lacking willpower required to tackle terrorism,the Cabinet secretary said that Chief Minister Mayawati was of the clear view that leaving the issued to the state was not justified.

Asking the Centre to rise above party politics,he said Mayawati has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding adequate security at important religious and tourist places in the state.

“The chief minister has requested the Prime Minister to provide 125 companies (12,500 personnel) of central forces so that a lasting arrangement could be made for security,” he said.

Chidambaram said there might have been lapses on the part of authorities that led to the blast.

Chidambaram,who visited the site of the explosion that left a child dead and 31 others injured,said,”A specific advise was given to UP on February 25 this year identifying Dashashwamedh Ghat as the possible target of terrorists and though police had made all arrangements there might have been some lapses which led to the blast yesterday”.

“There were also advisories on the second anniversary of the November 26 Mumbai attacks and for the Babri Majid demolition anniversary on December 6. After both the days passed off peacefully,the police might have relaxed but there is no scope of any relaxation as each day is a new day,” he told reporters.

Regretting the unfortunate incident,Chidambaram said that despite security arrangements and presence of a platoon of police personnel,someone managed to plant IED at the ghat which resulted in the blast.

The Home Minister,who visited the injured in hospitals,put the number of injured at 31,including four foreigners,of which he said nine have been discharged after first aid.

Chidamabaram extended condolences to all those who suffered in the blast especially to Santosh Kumar Sharma,whose daughter was killed.

The Home Minister said one of the patients in the hospital identified as Phool Mani,who had suffered head injuries,was serious while the others were all reported to be out of danger and being extended the best of medical treatment.

Chidambaram had a word of praise for the doctors treating the patients and said excellent medical facilities were been provided. He said the next step was to ensure the patients are treated and some compensation is given to them.

“We will take care of it when I go back to Delhi”.

To a question whether National Investigating Agency would probe the blast,Chidambaram said it would be decided only later on the basis of progress in investigations.

He,however,expressed confidence that Uttar Pradesh Police would investigate the matter and make a breakthrough in it. “Police would investigate the matter and the culprit would be found in the near future”,he said.

Police have termed the blast as low to medium intensity but it was strong enough to throw splinters up to 20 to 30 feet and hit the people.

Several people have been injured due to splinters and many others suffered fractures in the stampede that followed,

Chidambaram said,adding that evidences have been collected

from the blast site by the forensic teams.

Chidambaram said another forensic team was also coming to inspect the blast site.

Congratulating the people of Varanasi for showing exemplary spirit in the face of the challenge,he said,”The attempt of terrorists is to disturb peace and they cannot succeed as long as the people remain peaceful and live in harmony”.

The Home Minister said he has been told as to how people of different communities live in peace and harmony in localities near the blast site as well.

Noting that there had been only one terror related case in Pune in February this year,Chidambaram said he had been praying and hoping that 2010 would pass off peacefully but this incident in Varanasi came as the year was drawing to a close.

“This is the fourth incident of the type in Varanasi beginning from 2005,then at the Sankat Mochan temple in 2006,another at the Kutchery in 2007 but the last three years

had been relatively peaceful”,he said,adding 2009 had been free of terror attack in the country.

Earlier,Chidambaram visited different hospitals as also the blast site where he was apprised by senior police officials on the details of the explosion and the steps being taken thereafter.