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| Govt. anticipates suicide attacks | | J&K-based terror groups to target politicians' relatives | |
NEW DELHI, OCT. 20:
The Union Home Ministry has just dashed off the "most urgent" message to Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi administration, drawing their attention to the re-structured plan of the terror groups to target relatives of select politicians in the coming days. The message is the product of "specific information" furnished to the Home Ministry by intelligence agencies with regard to the posibility of suicide attacks.
And this "speciofic information", EARLY TIMES was officially told, that Kashmir-based terror groups intended to target relatives of select politicians not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also in the Delhi region. At a time when the Union government has not taken a final decision on the mercy petition of Kashmir militant, Afzal Guru, forwarded to the Home Ministry by the Rashtrapati Bhawan, anti-India trouble-makers seem determined to set the river Jhelum in Kashmir on fire in Guru's support.
No wonder, a senior Central government offical, who did not want to be identified, said: "We have specific information that terrorists are planning to kidnap the kith and kin of some select politicians. With this, they can demand clemency for Mohammad Afzal Guru. We also believe there could be fidayeen (suicide) attacks". Afzal, a prime accused in the 2001 Parliament attack, was given the death sentence by a Delhi court last month for his involvement in the conspiracy.
The offical had a sensational piece of information: "This time it is not politicians who are on the terror radar but their family members. It is a change of strategy and we suspect they want to bargain for Afzal". The message sent to Jammu and Kashmir has urged the local administration to make "effective" measures for the protection of family members of VIPs. These VIPs have been identifed as two former Chief Ministers, Farooq Abdullah and Mufti Mohamed Sayeed.
The official said in reply to a question: It was not without a specific reason when the Prime Minister quietly ordered convening of a high-level meeting on the cruciual issue of stepping up security for important politicval leaders in Delhi, including Sonia Gandhi and her parliamentarian son, Rahul Gandhi. The meeting which was chaired by the Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, reviewed the security cover of VIPs.
Prime Minister's Man Friday and National Security Advisor, MK Narayanan, played a key role in arranging the meeting. The meting was atended by MK Narayanan, VK Duggal, Home Secretary, chiefs of National Security Guard (NSG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and BV Wanchoo, Director of Special Protection Group (SPG).
The meeting had a detailed discussion on the potential threat of abducting relatives of VIPs and other important politcal leaders as a trade-off for Afzal Guru. The CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) is already guarding 20-odd dignitaries. The second ring of security around Prime Minister is manned by the CRPF.
The motive of the terror groups is to trigger turmoil that would make authorites rethink about the decision to hand Afzal. Afzal was scheduled to be hanged on Friday (October 20), but execution has been delayed amid fierce debate raging in the country for and against it. Farooq Abdullah warned last week that the judges who sentenced Afzal would require protection as they could be murdered and relations between Hindus and Muslims could also deteriorate. |
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