BANGALORE: Former Home Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress) said in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that 5,000 families in Bangalore were involved in naxal activities.

Speaking on the serial blasts in Mumbai, he said terrorists from Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and Mumbai and those from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka had taken shelter in Bangalore.

Mr. Kharge said the police should be strengthened and its capabilities upgraded. Security should be increased on the coast. More policemen should be recruited and posted to the Bangalore Airport, he said.

He urged the Finance Department to allocate funds for providing modern vehicles and weapons to security personnel. Police stations in the State had hardly 40 constables each while the number was about 100 in Mumbai, he said.

J.C. Madhuswamy (Janata Dal - United) demanded greater vigil on naxal activities in Chikkanayakanahalli, Pavagada, Chikmagalur and mining areas, including Bellary, which could become centres of naxal activities.

Leader of the Opposition N. Dharam Singh sought greater security cover for Bangalore.

Vatal Nagaraj (Kannada Chaluvali) said the activities of people who had migrated to Bangalore should be monitored. He asked the Government whether it had adequate information about them.

R.V. Deshpande (Congress) wanted intelligence in coastal areas strengthened.

He said underworld activities were going on in ports and harbours.

Araga Jnanendra (BJP) and Ramesh Kumar (Congress) spoke.

Security tightened

Home Minister M.P. Prakash said security arrangements had been made all over the State in the light of the Mumbai blasts. The Government was in touch with the Union and Maharashtra governments for providing assistance to people from Karnataka who were injured in the blasts.

In Council

Members of the Legislative Council spoke of the increasing vulnerability of Bangalore to attacks by terrorists, and called for strengthening the Intelligence and security services.

Leader of the House and Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy said the Government and the people must be on the alert.

Leader of the Opposition H.K. Patil said Karnataka had lessons to learn from the Mumbai blasts. "Shore up Intelligence and security," he said.

Response

M.P. Nadagouda (Janata Dal-U) said only cowards would resort to killing innocent people and attacking public places. "But our response should be brave," he added. B.K. Chandrashekhar (Congress) said: "Merely making laws will not help. Sensitisation of the enforcement agencies, tightening security and addressing the reasons for such acts are needed."

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