NEW DELHI, Dec 10:
Security forces have heightened their vigil to stop infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir from across vulnerable border areas, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said.
Border guarding forces like BSF and Army have drawn lessons from the recent incident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba sector where a terror attack killed 14 people, he said.
“I had visited this area after the incident and I saw that there are vulnerable areas from where there is a possibility of terrorists sneaking in… There is a riverine area also. We are trying to keep more vigil on that (Indo-Pak) fence. We will certainly see whatever can be done (to keep the border secure against any infiltration attempt),” Shinde told reporters here.
He said “action is being taken” based on the experiences of this incident where 14 people, including a Lieutenant Colonel, died in the two militant attacks on the Hiranagar Police Station and an Army camp in Kathua and Samba districts of Jammu and Kashmir on September 26.
The terrorists had attacked the Army’s Cavalry unit based in the area as they perpetrated terror running amok and spraying bullets.
He, however, refused to elaborate on the manner as to how the attack was launched.
BSF chief Subhash Joshi had been refuting the charge that there was a breach in its defence mechanisms in the Samba sector which led to the terror attack.
Initial reports had suggested BSF security was lax in the area and the Home Ministry had also ordered a probe in this regard then.
In reply to a question, he said that Government is keen to table three key legislations — Jan Lokpal Bill, Communal Violence Bill and Telangana Bill — in the current session of Parliament.
Shinde said the Government got the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in Lok Sabha and after that the Bill had gone to Rajya Sabha which sent it to the Select Committee.
“The Select Committee has recommended some amendments and with these amendments, the bill is now pending in Rajya Sabha. The Minister concerned has already given a notice to Rajya Sabha to take up this Bill immediately,” he said.
As far as the the proposed Communal Violence Bill is concerned, the Home Minister said the legislation has been pending for a very long time and lots of
discussions have taken place on it recently.
He said the Union Home Secretary has held a meeting with State Home Secretaries and discussed the issue at length.
“This is one of the promised actions that we have to do and we will do. We will try (to bring in this session),” he said.
Asked about some State Governments’ Opposition to the Bill, the Home Minister said if any State has any reservation over any clause, they can talk to him directly or can communicate to him and also to his officers.
“If they have any reservation on any particular point, we are ready to discuss,” he said.
As far as Telangana bill is concerned, Shinde said “our intention is very clear that we want to do it”.
The winter session, which began on December 5, will continue till December 20.
Asked about the reverses suffered by the Congress in recent Assembly elections in four States, the Home Minister said victory and defeat are not a new thing and it keeps happening.
He said under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, the Congress has been in power for the last ten years but such things (defeat in polls) happen in politics.
“If you go back a little, in Karnataka elections or in the Uttarakhand elections, our Congress party had won both the polls. We have won in Himachal Pradesh too. Such things happen in elections.
“Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi said that we have to analyse what were our mistakes. We have to see. It is the responsibility of each party to see the reasons for such results. Victory and defeat comes to every one. This is nothing new,” he said.
He said that Congress is likely to crack the whip on six of its MPs from Seemandhra for giving notice for no-confidence motion against the Government to protest against creation of Telangana.
“They (MPs) are from a disciplined force. If there is any indiscipline, the party will take care of that,” he added.
Shinde, who is also the Leader of Lok Sabha, said due to the uproar in the House on a number of issues, the motion was not taken up by the Speaker today.
“Today, the House was not ready to discuss, no one is ready to listen. There was confusion and then the House was adjourned,” he said.
Asked whether the Speaker would admit the motion, the Home Minister said it was for the Speaker to take a call on it.
“The Speaker does her own work, the Government does its own. The Speaker acts on each motion as per the rules,” he said.
The Seemandhra Congress MPs, four TDP members and three members of YSR Congress Party gave separate notices to the Speaker Meira Kumar for moving a no-trust motion.
In their letter to Kumar, the Congress MPs sought permission to move a motion expressing no-confidence in the Union Council of Ministers under Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
The MPs have been strongly opposing division of Andhra Pradesh and have submitted their resignation from Lok Sabha which have not been accepted. (PTI)
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