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Antony tells States to step up vigil

Kasaragod: A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned of a “serious threat” from terrorists to the Lok Sabha election process, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Saturday asked the State governments to maintain utmost vigil to defeat their designs.

“We have solid information that militants are plotting to hatch a conspiracy within and outside the country to subvert the poll process and tarnish the image of democratic India. The State governments must exercise close vigil in the coastal belts,” Mr. Antony said.

Canvassing for United Democratic Front (UDF) nominee Shahida Kamal contesting the Kasaragod Lok Sabha seat, Mr. Antony asked the voters to exercise their right to franchise for a government that would ensure sustained growth, stability, secularism and peace.

The CPI-M in Kerala was now targeting the Congress-led UDF for going ahead with the Israeli missile deal, Mr. Antony said and dared the CPI (M) Polit Bureau to clarify whether its party leaders, including Jyoti Basu and Somnath Chatterjee and a minister from Kerala, had not gone to Israel for setting up agro-based units in their States. — PTI

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