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| J-K on high alert after terror threats | | India boosts security in nuclear plants | | B L KAK
NEW DELHI, AUG. 13:
Top echelons of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs have been pressed into service to guide and monitor the measures put in place by various security and intelligence agencies to meet the terrorists' threat of attacking some cities and nuclear and defence installations in the country. Security has been stepped up in major cities, nuclear plants, religous places and monuments like the world-famous Taj Mahal.
This follows the in-depth discussions the Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, has had with top echelons of his Ministry and intelligence agencies during the past two days. National Security Advisor, MK Narayanan, was reported to have offered a set of guidelines on how to counter the terrorists' nefarious designs.
EARLY TIMES was officially told boosting of security measures became unavoidable after intelligence inputs pointed to an increased threat perception from terrorists targeting government facilites and nuclear plants. Security measures around two dozen nuclear installations in the country have been tightened after inputs of terrorists targeting government facilities and nuclear plants.
The Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, recently told Parliament that terrorists could strike at nuclear and military installations and religious places. National Security Advisor, Narayanan, told the NDTV network that 30 commandos were deployed to guard the nuclear plant at southern Kalpakkam city, which houses five facilities. Narayanan added that terrorist groups operating in the country had links with Al Qaeda.
Meanwhile, several major cities including national capital New Delhi, Srinagar, Jammu, Mumbai,Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad came under a heavy security cover run-up to the Independence Day celebrations. Senior Delhi police officer, Ajay Chadha, told reporters that elaborate security arrangements had been made as intelligence input indicated "renewed determination" of various terrorist groups to carry out subversive activities, attack political leaders and symbols of national importance.
"Recent incidents including the Mumbai train bombings and the failed terror plot to plant explosives in aeroplanes in UK give credence to intelligence reports," he said. "With heightened terrorist activities there is a considerable escalation in threat perception," Chadha added.
Security at religious places and monuments like the Taj Mahal has also been bolstered to foil any terror strike. Following a security review, more bunkers were set up and additional forces posted near the world- famous monument. Scores of tourists visit the Taj every day to see the white marble mausoleum built by an Indian Muslim emperor for his wife in the 15th century.
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