LUCKNOW: Following the alleged intelligence failure in the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken several important decisions to revamp its intelligence department.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday evening, BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said that orders have been issued to draw immediate plans for the revamping of the state intelligence department. Apart from that the government has also taken some vital decisions to beef up security along the state’s borders.
Mayawati said that to tackle and control any terrorism act in the state a decision has also been taken to spilt the state’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) into four zones with headquarters in Lucknow.
The four zones would be Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad and Faizabad. Each ATS zone will be headed by an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the rank of inspector general of police, in addition to several senior superintendents of police and superintendents of police, she said.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party is a key ally of the Congress party, has placed the federal Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the dock for the terror attacks in Mumbai.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Ghazipur, near Lucknow, Yadav blamed the UPA government saying the terror attack took place due to the mistakes of the government.
He claimed that he has given an ultimatum to the federal government to take suitable action against the lapses on the part of intelligence and that strict action should be taken against whoever is found guilty.
Replying to a question as to whether more stringent laws were required to deal with terrorism, Yadav shot back “where is the need for it?” There are enough laws in the Indian Constitution that are sufficient and can deal sternly and firmly with both terrorism and terrorists. In fact, to control terrorism, there is a need for the leadership to have a strong determination, Yadav said.
To another question whether Pakistan was behind the Mumbai terror attack, Yadav said “We are in favor of having good, friendly, strong and brotherly relations with all our neighbors. But then this does not mean that good relations can be of one way.”
The SP General Secretary Amar Singh, who was also present with Yadav, also blasted the UPA government for its failure to tackle terrorism and said that the resignation of the former federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil was not enough.
