Author: IANS
Publication: Mumbai Mirror
Date: July 31, 2006
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee tells Lok
Sabha that the govt has credible, advance intelligence inputs on the terror
outfit's plans
India's critical infrastructure, military
bases, nuclear installations and religious places are targets for attack by
Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Defence Minister Pranab
Mukherjee told Parliament on Monday, adding the government had taken measures
to foil such plans.
"The information that is available with
the security agencies is that LeT modules are planning to carry out some strikes
against critical infrastructure items, military targets and religious places,"
Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha.
Responding to concerns raised by Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) leader V K Malhotra during the zero hour, he said: "It
had been evident for some time now that the scope of such terrorist activities
is on the increase. As regards items of critical infrastructure, reports indicate
a possibility of a nuclear installation being considered," Mukherjee
said.
Drawing the government's attention to media
reports quoting National Security Advisor (NSA) M K Narayanan that India's
nuclear installations were on the LeT's hit list, Malhotra as well as leader
of opposition L K Advani asked if the government was aware of such threats.
Pointing out that the government has taken
the information "very seriously", Mukherjee said: "Activities
of the Pakistan-based LeT have been continuously and carefully monitored by
our security and intelligence agencies."
"A series of special security measures
have already been taken and some are under consideration to prevent any such
attempt from succeeding," the defence minister assured the House. "The
House must appreciate that it is on the basis of advance intelligence that
necessary steps are being taken to protect our vital installations and other
high-profile targets," Mukherjee said.
"The government will take all possible
steps to see that these attacks do not fructify," he said.
