India to set up new anti-terrorism body

NEW DELHI (Agencies) - Sharing his views with politicians at an all-party conference, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday announced setting up of a Federal Investigating Agency besides strengthening anti-terrorist apparatus and measures to reinforce maritime and air security in the wake of the terrorist savagery in the country’s financial capital Mumbai, according to the Indian media.
Leader of the Opposition LK Advani, BJP President Rajnath Singh and Shiv Sena leaders did not attend the conference.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders V K Malhotra and Jaswant Singh were among those attending the meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh, Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat, and D Raja and A B Bardhan of the Communist Party of India also attended the meeting.
Manmohan convened the meeting to take stock of the security situation and ways to strengthen the intelligence machinery in the country following three days and three nights of Mumbai terror that killed 183 lives and injured over 300.
In the wake of deadly terror strikes in Mumbai, Singh said the political class of the country should give a message of collective approach in dealing with the situation of a terrorist attack of this magnitude. He appealed to parties to rise above political considerations to meet the challenge unitedly.
“Terrorists and enemies of our nation must know that their actions unite rather than divide us,” he said in his opening remarks at the all-party meeting.
“In the face of this national threat and in the aftermath of this national tragedy, all of us from different political parties must rise above narrow political considerations and stand united. We should work together in the interest of the country at this critical juncture,” he said, while seeking help from the political parties.
While noting that “several measures are already in place to deal with the situation”, he underlined that much more needed to be done “and we are determined to take all necessary measures to overhaul the system”.
“We are further strengthening maritime and air security for which measures have been initiated. This will involve the navy, the Coast Guard and the coastal police, as well as the air force and the Civil Aviation Ministry.