Lalu admits security lapse in Samjhauta Express blasts

New Delhi, Feb 19 (UNI) Making an unconcealed admission of a security lapse in the Samjhauta Express twin blasts, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today rued the non-availability of equipment that could peep into a passenger's baggage and confirm the existence of explosives and other lethal objects.

''The Railways will own up the responsibility if there is any fault on its part; it will not sweep the issue under carpet. We don't want to cover up,'' Mr Prasad said.

The minister said metal detectors had been provided at the stations, but there was no equipment to check what was inside the luggage.

Mr Prasad was, however, quick to point out that no such equipment was available for any railway system in the world.

''Security lapse cannot be denied,'' he said when asked by mediapersons if it was the case with regard to the checking-in of the luggage of Samjhauta Express passengers.

In this connection, he referred to the July 11, 2006 serial blasts on Mumbai suburban train system, which claimed nearly 200 lives.

At the same time, the minister expressed indignation over the functioning of intelligence agencies. ''We never get any specific information about an impending attack. Only vague information is given, which is of little help,'' he said.

He also said that the Railways had to encounter a lot of difficulties in conducting security drill at stations. ''I have suggested that only bona fide passengers should be allowed to enter platforms, but there are some difficulties in implementing this proposal.'' Pointing out that Indian Railways plied 11,000 trains a day, he said providing full-proof security for such a vast network was a gigantic task.

Mr Prasad said his ministry woulod earmark ''new stations'' for the Samjhauta express because of ''security constraints''.

''The train starts from the Old Delhi Railway Station which is very crowded. From security consideration Safdarjung Station has been zeroed on,'' he added.

The minister said he would soon hold a high-level meeting to upgrade security arrangements at stations. ''I have already talked to the Union Home Minister in this regard,'' he added.

He said the attack was intended to tarnish the image of Indian Railways, disrupt the cordial relations between India and Pakistan and throw a spanner in the talks to be held between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri is scheduled to visit New Delhi tomorrow for talks with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

The minister said of the 65 dead, three were RPF personnel who were escorting the train. ''RPF personnel have been escorting Samjhauta Express because the goverments of Punjab and Haryana are still undecided as to which state will provide security to this train.'' He said the governments of Punjab and Haryana had a major role in ensuring the security of the train and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) did not have much powers.

''It is the responsibility of the state governments to ensure the security of the train,'' he said.

RPF personnel escort the train till Attari, where more security checks take place. BSF personnel move with the train on horseback as it moves from Atari station - the last railway station on the Indian side, 25 km from Amritsar - towards the Zero Line along the international border between India and Pakistan.

UNI