PM, HM speaking in different voices on Mumbai blasts: BJP

Upping the ante against the government on the Mumbai serial blast case, BJP today said divisions within Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet and misuse of the intelligence agencies for settling political scores have led to failure in combating terror.

The opposition targeted Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram, accusing them of speaking in different voices on the serial blasts that claimed 18 lives.

"Singh said yesterday that the government will do everything in its power to prevent such attacks in future. On what basis is the Prime Minister making such claims when his Home Minister frankly conceded that all cities in India are vulnerable to attack. Are they on the same page?" BJP Chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad asked.

He expressed unhappiness over the claim made by both Singh and Chidambaram that there was no intelligence input.

"They both stated that there was no prior intelligence alert.... The country is certainly entitled to know why there was no intelligence alert," Prasad said.

The opposition charged that other than not taking action on promises made after 26/11 like establishment of a National Intelligence Grid and National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the government was also misusing the intelligence agencies which has fine professionals.

"There is no intelligence alert as IB and other agencies off late are being used more under political pressure in non-security related political objectives like targeting non-UPA state governments and surveillance of even senior ministers," Prasad said.

He was referring to the recent controversy where it was alleged that the Home Ministry could be involved in spying on the Finance Minister by bugging his office.