Security high against attack on nuclear facilities

New Delhi, July 31:Admitting that Lashkar-e-Toiba modules have plans to attack critical infrastructure, including nuclear installations, besides military targets and religious sites, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said the government is taking all possible steps to ensure that such attacks do not fructify.

''Special security measures have been taken and more are under consideration to prevent the attacks by LeT on vital installations, including nuclear,'' Mr Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour after BJP Deputy Leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra cited media reports quoting National Security Adviser M K Narayanan that at least one of the nuclear installations was under threat of being attacked by LeT.

Mr Mukherjee said the intelligence agencies were constantly monitoring the activities of LeT, and there was evidence for sometime that the scope of terrorist activities in the country was on the rise.

He said the intelligence agencies had information that LeT modules were planning to attack critical installations, possibly nuclear installations, military targets and religious sites.

Earlier, Mr Malhotra said the National Security Adviser had stated such a ''chilling'' thing to the media without taking the Prime Minister and Parliament into confidence.

Mr Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) also expressed concern and said the matter was so serious that either the Prime Minister or the Defence Minister should reply.

UNI