Mumbai blasts: Maha govt faces Opposition fire

Mumbai: Maharashtra's Congress-NCP government on Tuesday came under fire from the Opposition in the Legislative Council over the July 13 serial bomb blasts in which 24 people were killed.

Moving a proposal to hold a debate on the triple blasts, Leader of the Opposition Pandurang Phundkar said the government has once again failed to prevent a terror attack and even after 13 days of the bombings police were yet to nab the culprits.

"The Ram Pradhan Committee (appointed after 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks) had made various recommendations on security measures, but these were not implemented due to which the serial bombings took place," he alleged.

Phundkar said the panel had recommended that the state police should not depend entirely on the Central intelligence agencies for inputs and should establish its own intelligence network. This suggestion, too, has not been implemented, he said.

The BJP member also lashed out at the Mumbai Police over its functioning.

"The widening rift between Mumbai Crime Branch and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has come out in open," he said.

"The Government spends Rs 31 crore on (26/11 convict Ajmal) Kasab's security and only Rs 190 crore on Mumbai's security. That's why only Kasab is safe in Mumbai," he said.

Ramdas Kadam (Shiv Sena) demanded that the secret fund of Rs 50 lakh, kept aside to reward informers, be increased.

Kadam claimed that 50 educated youths from a minority community had 'disappeared' in Beed district in central Maharashtra and demanded that the government launch a manhunt for them to ensure these men were not involved in any wrongdoing.

Criticising the Congress-NCP Government, he said the ruling alliance had become incompetent.

Vinod Tawde (BJP) took potshots at Home Minister RR Patil, saying he should not be visible only through newspapers and news channels but his actions should speak.

Diwakar Rawate (Shiv Sena) asked the Government to introspect on why it had repeatedly failed to tackle the menace of terror.

Rawate asked why Hasan Gafoor, who was Mumbai Police Commissioner during the 26/11 attacks, was promoted after the terror strikes and no action was taken against him.

"Demanding resignations of only Patil and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will not serve any purpose. If the Government is unable to perform its duties, then entire Government should resign," he said.

Meanwhile, the Upper House was adjourned twice in the day for 10 minutes each.

Soon after the session began, the MLCs paid condolences to the 14 pilgrims who were killed in a road accident in Jalna on Monday.