Debate on terror exposes Congress-NCP rift

ON THE TERROR TRAIL

Rift in the Congress-NCP coalition came out into the open with its former deputy chief minister and home minister R R Patil attacking the central government for not providing “actionable” intelligence and former revenue minister and rebel Congress leader Narayan Rane attacking the state government itself during a discussion on Mumbai terror attacks in the state Assembly.

Speaking on the adjournment motion tabled by the Opposition BJP-Sena combine, Patil poked fun at the intelligence inputs received from the Union government about the attack from sea. “In past we have received inputs about attack from land, air and sea. The only input we have not yet is received is about the possibility of attack from hail,” he said.

He further said that protecting the country’s maritime borders was the primary responsibility of central government agencies like the Navy, Coast Guards and Customs. Since these agencies had done the job satisfactorily in the past, no need was felt for creating any mechanism at the state level, he said. “However, this incident has taught all of us a lesson and now we have to gear up to face the challenge of protecting our coasts,” he said.

Attacking the state government, Rane alleged that the post of Mumbai’s police commissioner was being sold through auction and few junior officers like inspectors were determining who should be the commissioner. “In such conditions, how can one expect that the Mumbai police will be able to protect the lives and properties of ordinary citizens,” he said.

Alleging that some state politicians had links with underworld don Dawood, Rane said, “Dawood’s key aide Tariq Parveen was seen at the felicitation function of the new chief minister, Ashok Chavan, organised by the Mumbai Congress and no police officer present there could dare ask Tariq why he was present there.”

He also dared the state government to ask the central government to make public the entire report of the M N Vora committee on criminalisation of politics.