Cooperation, not accusation, is the need of the hour: PM

On Board Air India One: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said all political parties and shades of opinion in the country must come together to work towards countering terrorism.

On Board Air India One: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said all political parties and shades of opinion in the country must come together to work towards countering terrorism.

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“Without accusing anyone, let me say that all political parties should cooperate. This is not the time for mutual accusations. This is a war we must and we will win,” he said.

“After Mumbai 26/11, we had put in place a set of innovation to tackle security issues in a more effective away. They are working well, but still it is an unfinished agenda,” the Prime Minister said. He said terrorists have managed to take advantage of “some weaknesses in our system”.

PM in Dhaka
Earlier, speaking in Dhaka, the PM had denounced the terror strike outside the Delhi high court as a “cowardly act”. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said that an ex-gratia of Rs2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of deceased persons will be given. Also, Rs1 lakh each will be given to those who were seriously injured in the bomb blast.

Earlier, the Prime Minister had voiced concern over forces of extremism and terrorism, saying they “threaten our state systems and impede progress”.

Addressing a gathering at Dhaka University, Singh said “both India and Bangladesh are vulnerable to the forces of extremism and terrorism”.

“Such forces sap the strength of our societies, threaten our state systems and impede our progress,” Singh added. “It is, therefore, of paramount importance that we work together to confront this challenge and come out successful,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, the BJP and Left parties condemned the blast and said the government should explain to people whether there was serious intelligence failure.