Maharashtra put on alert

State had received intelligence reports of a possible fidayeen attack

The Maharashtra government issued a red alert after the bomb blast near the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Bangalore on Wednesday. Additional security forces have been deployed, especially in sensitive areas of Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Malegaon, Pune, Aurangabad, etc.

On the condition of anonymity, a senior Maharashtra government official told Business Standard: “Immediately after the Bangalore blast, the home ministry held a meeting to take stock of the situation and step up the law-and-order machinery across the state. A close vigil is being maintained, especially in strategically crucial sites and highly populated areas. A red alert has been sounded and the police department has been directed to watch the situation closely and take further steps, accordingly.”

He added Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, his deputy Ajit Pawar, along with Home Minister R R Patil and his deputy Satej Patil, were regularly being briefed on the developments.

The official said, at the time of the Bangalore blast, Maharashtra government officials were preparing a comprehensive plan, as the state had received tips from the Centre that Pakistan-based terrorists were training women ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) attackers, possibly to strike key cities, including Mumbai and Pune. The intelligence inputs were received on January 12. The police and civic & railways authorities have been alerted.

According to the Press Trust of India, security was also stepped up in  Delhi. A senior police official said police personnel had been “alerted” and there was extra vigil across the city. “There is an emphasis on checking vehicles leaving and entering the city. We have deployed personnel across the city. There is nothing to panic,” he said. Security has also been beefed up at railway stations, bus terminals, airport, Metro stations, markets, etc.