E-Paper
Chidambaram admits gaps in intelligence sharing
Admitting that there had been major communication gaps in intelligence sharing between the Centre and the various states, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said that the Home Ministry is closing in the gaps to ensure better coordination, reports Naresh Kamath.
Admitting that there had been major communication gaps in intelligence sharing between the Centre and the various states, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said that the Home Ministry is closing in the gaps to ensure better coordination.
He said the gaps were mainly because of multiple central agencies, their subsidiaries in the states and local agencies.
The Centre has also established a multi-agency centre to facilitate sharing such inputs with the states, Chidambaram said at a press conference in the city. “There would be better assessment sharing between the two and there would be periodic reviews.”
Chidambaram described the possible goof-up of sending identical DNA samples of two terrorists involved in the 26/11 attacks to Pakistan as a “minor clerical error”.
There were reports that in the dossier sent to Pakistan that the DNA samples of Kasab and Abu Ismail, who was gunned down at Girgaum Chowpatty, were identical.
“There could have been a minor clerical error and we would rectify it,” he said. “Kasab is alive and his DNA can taken even now and matched with his parents. Pakistan no longer denies that Kasab and Ismail are its nationals.”
Ruling out any more inquiries in the 26/11 attack , he said: “The state government has ordered an inquiry while at Centre I have conducted a detailed review of the situation. A commission of inquiry will not give me any new information.”
Attacking BJP leader L.K. Advani on the 1999 Kandahar hijack issue, he said: “If I was Home minister then I would not have allowed the release of the terrorists.”
Taking a dig at Advani who claimed that he was unaware of External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh accompanying the three terrorists, Chidabaram said: “I would not say after four years that I was unaware of the external affairs minister accompanied the terrorists. In fact I would tell the PM not to allow the minister to accompany the terrorists.”
When asked about the deportation of key LeT operative Shahid Jamil Riaz, who has been detained in an European country, he feigned ignorance. “I’m not aware of the matter hence cannot comment.”
