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| New Internal Security minister post in the offing? | | | New Delhi | Sept 17
Amid speculation over having a tough anti-terror legislation and creating a new post of Internal Security minister, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a special meeting of the Union Cabinet today in the backdrop of rising terror attacks in the country.
The government is considering the new post to provide cover to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil. According to sources, Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju and Minister of State for Steel Jiten Prasada are in the running for the job.
The meeting has "no agenda", sources said implying that it was not a routine meeting but specially convened to apparently to discuss something on a priority.
Cabinet meetings are usually held on Thursday with prior notice on specific subjects to be taken up.
Though the UPA government has rejected BJP's demand for enacting a POTA-type law it appears to have some fresh thinking in the wake of calls within the Congress also to go for a new stringent anti-terror law.
With the Government's handling of the internal security facing criticism even from allies like RJD, sources said possibility of creating a new Internal Security portfolio in the Union Cabinet is also being explored.
Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad has made an open demand for an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss threadbare issues arising out of the Delhi blasts.
Prasad had also demanded a meeting of all political parties to discuss the situation and expressed concern over the functioning of the intelligence agencies.
The UPA has been under attack from the Opposition on the handling of terrorism and has been accused of adopting a "soft" approach on the issue. |
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