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Security agencies should deal firmly with terrorists: Advani

Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Wednesday suggested that the chief ministers of northern states should evolve a ''new operational methodology'', in co-ordination with the Centre, to effectively counter the proxy war launched by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence in various parts of the country.

Addressing a meeting of eight chief ministers, called to review the internal situation in their region, the home minister said India should not be perceived a soft state and security agencies should firmly deal with ''internal problems.''

The meeting also decided to set up a special task force to tackle the problems being created by terrorists and criminals.

During the meeting that lasted four hours, senior home ministry officials briefed the chief ministers about the role of the Pakistani intelligence agencies and their surrogates in India in trying to destabilise the internal security in the country.

They were informed that the Centre had spent Rs 460 billion on army and paramilitary forces deployed for security duties. Terrorists have damaged private and public property worth Rs 20 billion during the past nine years.

The meeting was attended by Dr Farooq Abdullah, Parkash Singh Badal, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Bansi Lal, Kalyan Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Chief secretaries and home secretaries of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan assisted their chief ministers.

The meeting took note of the rapid developments in information and communication technology. It was unanimously felt that the police forces must be adequately strengthened with modern weapons and equipment.

It was also decided to ensure greater co-ordination of intelligence and strategy between central and state government agencies and joint action by the states.

The ministers felt that old laws must be amended to provide effective counter strategies to meet the tactics adopted by criminals. The judicial system should be reoriented in view of the problems being faced in law enforcement, especially with a view to foil the designs of external agencies.

UNI

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