The Hindu : Front Page : State geared to meet any terrorist threat; general alert sounded

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Sunday, Oct 29, 2006
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State geared to meet any terrorist threat; general alert sounded

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister, Prakash hold meeting with senior officials

HIGH-LEVEL MEET: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Home Minister M.P. Prakash (second from left) discussing a point at a meeting in Bangalore on Saturday. Chief Secretary Malathi Das (third from left), Principal Secretary (Home) Vatsala Vatsa and D irector-General of Police B.S. Sial are seen. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: The State Government is geared to meet terrorist threats and a general alert has been sounded to the police in all districts and not just Mysore, where two Pakistani nationals were nabbed on Thursday.

A high-level meeting was held here on Saturday and it was chaired by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Home Minister M.P. Prakash. Others present included Director-General of Police B.S. Sial, Mysore Police Commissioner Pravin Sood and principal secretaries of Home, Revenue and Forests.

The Chief Minister and the Home Minister told presspersons that owing to the high level of economic activity in the State, particularly in Bangalore, it was natural that anti-national elements had an eye on the region.

In touch with Centre

The State Government was in touch with the Centre and this was one of the reasons that had enabled the Mysore police to arrest the alleged terrorists.

An intensive search was on in certain pockets of Mysore for some people who were believed to be part of the network or had extended support to them.

Mr. Prakash said the police had fanned out to various parts of the State to arrest the remaining members of the group that had apparently stayed in a house in Mysore. It was another matter that there was no clarity on the number of members of the terrorist group which had landed in Mysore. Security to some of the vital installations in the State had been stepped up.

The police had tightened security for the Vidhana Soudha and the Vikasa Soudha.

The Home Minister said there was also information that the alleged terrorists had taken shelter in Mysore as part of their plan to attack some buildings in Bangalore, since Mysore afforded a better cover to such elements.

In the view of the State Government, apart from taking preventive steps the Government could do little in preventing the movement of terrorists to these cities.

Plan against naxals

The Government has firmed up a plan to deter naxalite operations in the State. Apart from equipping the police better with arms and ammunition and motor vehicles, a decision has been taken to wean away the tribal people along the Western Ghats who were supporting the naxalites.

Over the past few years, naxalite operations in certain pockets of the Western Ghats have sincreased after they succeeded in luring the tribal people.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said towards a proper implementation of the plan, directions had been issued to senior officials of the departments of Home, Forests and Revenue to stay put in the peripheral areas of the forests in Chikmagalur and adjoining districts and solve the problems of the tribal people.

The team of officials would be led by Principal Secretary (Revenue) S.M. Jaamdar.

The officials had been empowered to provide alternative land to the tribal people, establish markets for the forest produce pooled by the tribal people, build medical dispensaries and schools etc.

Nikhil case

The case relating to Chief Minister's son Nikhil, who along with some youths had reportedly indulged in violence at a hotel on Thursday, took a new turn with Mr. Kumaraswamy stating that details of the "conspiracy" would be revealed in two days.

To questions by presspersons, the Chief Minister said, "It is a planted case. Those behind the attempts to defame us using the illegal mining case were the ones behind the attack on the hotel. The police investigation is on and the details would be given in two days."

Mr. Kumaraswamy said his son had been drawn into a conspiracy by some vested interests which included some of his son's friends.

"I spoke to my son on Friday. His innocence will be proved," the Chief Minister said.

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