Mumbai terror attacks assault on India: Sonia

NEW DELHI (Agencies) - Describing the Mumbai terror strikes as a "deliberate assault" on Indian, Congress party President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday warned that people perpetrating such attacks cannot continue to take India for granted any longer and said the response has to be firm and effective.
"I want to say very categorically here that those who perpetrate such attacks on our people and those who direct or support them cannot continue to take India for granted any longer. Our response has to be firm and effective," Indian TV channel Zee News quoted Sonia as telling a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party here.
She said the "whole country is united in its determination to combat the forces of terrorism wherever they may be."
Sonia said the December 11 resolution in Parliament reflects the resolve of all political parties to set aside their differences when it comes to dealing with the scourge of terrorism.
"They (Mumbai attacks) were a deliberate assault on our nationhood and a brazen attempt to destroy the fabric of our society and our secular democratic way of life," she said while eulogising security personnel for showing "extraordinary" courage and bravery.
According to Doordarshan TV channel, the security of the nuclear power plants across India was being reviewed in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks and any additional measures required to protect them would be put in place, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said.
"Already several security measures have been put in place. We are reviewing in the context of what happened in Mumbai and certainly whatever additional (security), which are necessary, we will put in place", Kakodkar who met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Thursday said in Chennai.
He met the Chief Minister to seek approval to set up Neutrino Observatory.
S Basu, Facilities Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), who visited Kalpakkam on Thursday, welcomed the government's announcement declaring Kalpakkam nuclear power plant and 10km radius around it as a "no fly zone".
"In the context of the general security, it is a very good safety measure," he said, adding it should be made a permanent precaution as "there could be a problem by chance".
He said security reviews had been intensified earlier itself after an LTTE air raid on a Sri Lankan air base.
"In fact, nuclear stations should be permanently made no fly zone. Further, all the nuclear installations in the country have been reinforced with security and we also make simulated study to check preparedness," he said.