PM sounds Patil on security

The Abdullahs had met the PM on Tuesday and complained about the scant security provided to them. They had squarely blamed the state government for not carrying out the necessary security drill before the duo8217;s arrival at Sarnal village in South Kashmir. Both father and son are Central government protectees under the highest Z- plus security category. While Abdullah has NSG cover, Omar is under the protection of the ITBP.

Asked if any advisory on Abdullah8217;s security had been issued to the Mufti government, Patil said there was a Blue Book and a Yellow Book which laid down the security drill to be followed. 8216;8216;The books clearly spell out the duties of the state government. There is no need for us to say anything,8217;8217; he added.

Omar, meanwhile, told Express that he did not have a working bullet-proof car since 2002. Earlier, he said, there were two of them. But now one was with PDP leader and MP Mehbooba Mufti and the other kept having technical snags. On his recent trip to Basoli in UP, three of the car8217;s tyres got punctured, he said. He added that his father and he were sharing a jammer.

Meanwhile, reacting to the Abdullahs8217; complaint, Mehbooba Mufti said the two were 8216;8216;behaving like schoolchildren8217;8217;. The MP said during the NC regime, she and her father too had close shaves but they never blamed anyone. 8216;8216;I have faced at least three serious attacks, even when PDP was in power,8217;8217; she said. 8216;8216;I can understand their nervousness since it was for the first time that they had been attacked from a very close distance.8217;8217;