The Hindu : Front Page : Jaiswal promises Rajasthan all help in probe

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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Jaiswal promises Rajasthan all help in probe

Special Correspondent

Says it will not be correct to blame intelligence failure
Four companies of the RAF sent to Jaipur

Sriprakash Jaiswal

NEW DELHI: “All possible assistance will be given to the Rajasthan government in probing the serial blasts…,” Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal said on Wednesday.

Talking to journalists here on his return to the Capital after a visit to the sites of the blasts in Jaipur, he exuded confidence that the Central agencies and the Rajasthan government would unravel the conspiracy behind the terror attack. “We have already sent four companies of the Rapid Action Force to Jaipur,” he said.

Asserting that terrorists had failed in their plan to tear asunder the fabric of communal harmony and brotherhood, Mr. Jaiswal said that the people had given them a “befitting reply.” Admitting that investigating agencies had not reached the “final stage” in their probe of the terror strikes in Hyderabad, Ajmer and other places, Mr. Jaiswal said that by all indications the plot and conspiracy were linked to some neighbouring countries.

Each city had at least 10 to 20 hubs and a number of religious places where terrorists could strike. “It will not be correct to blame intelligence failure for the Jaipur blasts, though there was no specific input. There was only a general input that religious places in Rajasthan could be targeted by terrorist outfits,” he said. Terrorist outfits were obviously not happy about India’s economic growth and technological advancement.

New intelligence cadre

The Minister said that in today’s changed scenario, all State governments, police organisations and intelligence agencies must be equipped with high-tech devices. “You may have a well armed police force, but without effective, timely and actionable intelligence inputs, it is all futile.”

He said a separate intelligence cadre must be created in the State police departments, instead of clubbing police and intelligence units. He also reminded the State governments that a Federal Investigating Agency could have probed terrorist strikes such as the Jaipur blasts had all State governments agreed to the Centre’s proposal to establish such an agency.

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