‘Sleuths need to home in on specifics’

Even as Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today admitted that it was not possible to have prior intelligence reports about all incidents, he...

Even as Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today admitted that it was not possible to have prior intelligence reports about all incidents, he urged security agencies to pull up their socks.

‘‘Intelligence failures will happen but it is not fair to blame the agencies all the time, as has become fashionable,’’ said Advani, inaugurating the annual conference of DGs and IGPs.

	‘Media feeding terror’
NEW DELHI: The media came in for criticism from L.K. Advani today. Alleging that the media tended to sensationalise events by showing pictures of bodies and blood, and also by over-critical reporting, he called for ‘‘careful and serious’’ reporting of terrorist incidents. Media, he said, should not contribute to spreading terror. *(ENS)* Story continues below this ad

However, he said efforts should be made to provide specific intelligence inputs so that effective pre-emptive action could be taken.

‘‘Our intelligence is reasonably good and we get good general inputs. But till specifics are not known, it becomes difficult to take action on them,’’ he said.

He also stressed on modernisation of police in states.

Advani regretted that funds given by the Centre were either not being spent or not getting matching grants from states. ‘‘This is not upto our expectations. Now we may think of giving equipment directly to police instead of funds.’’

Recent developments — the elections in J-K, the September 24 terrorist attack on Akshardham and arrest of Abu Salem by Interpol in Portugal — had all put India’s security problems in world focus.

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Security forces have to increasingly face such challenges, Advani said. Praising NSG commandoes for their role in Akshardham siege, he said, there were things which needed improvement.

‘‘There was a delay of about 45 minutes because of a traffic jam in Delhi on way to the airport. There should be some ways to deal with such situations. This time nothing much happened. But there may be a time when such delays will make a difference,’’ he warned.

The Deputy PM also referred to the situation in the North-East and asked the police and security agencies to ‘‘gain control over the situation’’ since insurgency and militancy there was of a different kind.

Advani also gave away police medals to intelligence and police officers.IB Bureau Director K.P. Singh asked policemen to be vigilant in maintaining security as well as communal harmony.