Pune attack a blot; German Bakery did not heed advice: PC

Insisting that the German Bakery in Pune had been informed in advance twice about terror threat, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said last month's attack on it was a "blot on our record" as it could not be averted despite intelligence being shared.
 
Replying to questions in the Lok Sabha, he asserted that there was no intelligence failure as enough information was shared about specific targets in Pune with the Maharashtra police.
 
"Despite the intelligence shared, despite the advisories issued, the Pune blast occurred. It is a blot. I regard that as a blot on our record," Chidambaram said responding to a question by Supriya Sule (NCP).
 
A bomb blast ripped apart the German Bakery, a popular eating joint for foreigners, in Koregaon Park area on February 13 leaving 17 people dead.
 
Sharing details with the House, the minister said on October 9, 2009, Pune police issued a written advisory to all the establishments in the Koregaon Park area including German Bakery and the same was acknowledged by the Bakery's manager Praveen Pant.
 
"This was a detailed advisory asking all establishments to take a number of steps. Unfortunately, German Bakery and many other establishments did not heed this advice," he said adding the same advisory was reiterated in December.
 
He said while the government was trying to enhance security measures, it was asking every establishment to cooperate as many of them have to take their own security measures.