Need for reinstating post of Minister of Internal Security

New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) The new patterns of terrorist activities and violence in the country underlines the strong requirement for a Minister of Internal Security and strengthening up the intelligence apparatus to deal with the scourge, Rajya Sabha member Shobhna Bhartia today said.

''In view of the magnitude of terror attacks, there is a need for the country to reinstate a Minister of Internal Security,'' Ms Bhartia, a nominated member and chairperson of the Hindustan Times Group, said in her maiden speech in the house during a short-duration discussion on the Mumbai blasts.

Cautioning that the ''footprints of global terror'' were fast converging on India, she emphasised the need for bolstering the intelligence and security apparatus in the country.

Lauding the role of the security agencies, who had busted as many as 65 terror modules throughout the country in the last seven months and seized 24 kgs of deadly RDX, including a large consignment from Aurangabad shortly before the Mumbai blasts, she rued that they had been unable to apprehend the entire amount.

Quoting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had said the ''prime responsibility of the state was to ensure security of its citizens,'' she also called on the common people to strive to conquer the menace.

In her nearly half-an-hour-long impressive speech, Ms Bhartia, said there was an imperative need to launch a global offensive against those who were sheltering terrorists and providing them safe havens in other countries.

She also took a swipe at Western powers for demanding from India conclusive evidence of terror infrastructure in its neighbouring country. ''But the same powers attacked Iraq with lesser evidence of nukes in that country,'' she pointed out.

While criticising the UN for its failure to decide even on the definition of terrorism, she said India sorely needed a unified political strategy to isolate terror and ''finish it off.'' Ms Bhartia also made an impassioned plea to the government to look at ''pool of grievances'' which were different in nature. The Naxal problem, she said, could be dealt through the welfare of the poor people and provding them education and job opportunities.

She said the Ayodhya episode definitely created a ''reservoir of grievances'', but the RSS alone should not be blamed for communal frenzy.

''Some LDF and UDF members met Mr Madani in a Kerala jail and demanded parole and five star treatment for him. By doing so, what kind of message are we sending?'' she asked.

Underlining India's Muslims had not been involved with either al-Qaeda or the Taliban, Ms Bhartia also pointed out that some madarsas in India were ''stoking the fires of communalism.'' This drew vociferous protests from Samajwadi Party MP Abu Asim Azmi, but Ms Bhartia said she stuck to her contention.

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