Blast fires opposition attack on state govt

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who came out unscathed from the Shiv Sena-Shahrukh controversy, is now facing a bigger challenge. As the government led by him completes 100 days in power, it has failed to protect the state from terror attack.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who came out unscathed from the Shiv Sena-Shahrukh controversy, is now facing a bigger challenge. As the government led by him completes 100 days in power, it has failed to protect the state from terror attack.

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A year-and-a-half after 26/11, terror came calling at a bakery in Pune on Saturday. Critics of the government are alleging that the state leadership failed despite the past experience of 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

“In the last decade there have been 40-odd bomb blasts in the state, the latest being in Pune. Even after 26/11 attack and a promise that state would be terror free, government once again failed to protect people,’’ said BJP leader Gopinath Munde.

After 26/11, the state government has put in place a slew of measures to strengthen security agencies from purchasing weapons, equipment to restructuring the police set-up. The state created special force on the lines of National Security Guard and was preparing for up gradation of the Anti Terrorist Squad. But, experts point out that this is not enough.