Indian Internal Security - 4

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Maneka writes to PM, says Govt not doing enough to protect Varun</b>
pioneer.com
PNS | New Delhi
After Delhi Police on Saturday busted a terror plot to eliminate Varun Gandhi, his mother and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the UPA <b>Government, accusing it of “casually dismissing” the threat perception for political reasons.</b>

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, <b>Maneka targeted Home Minister P Chidmbaram for not even giving a proper hearing to Varun and wondered if the Government wanted his son to be killed because he was a threat to the Congress.</b>

At the same time, reacting to reports that police had arrested <b>six sharpshooters of the Chhota Shakeel gang who had sneaked into Delhi to kill him, Varun said, “This is the second time that such a conspiracy has been hatched against me. It just shows the kind of terror I stand against.” The Pilibhit MP went on to add, “But I am not intimidated by such cowardly acts.” </b>

Incidentally, after Varun’s controversial speech landed him in jail just ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the Bangalore Police had also arrested a close aide of Shakeel. This aide disclosed that he had been entrusted with the task of killing the young leader.

In her letter to the Prime Minister, Maneka said, <b>“This is not the first such incident. An earlier such conspiracy by the same people was unearthed in April this year. There seems to be a systematic campaign afoot to target him, culminating in this design to eliminate him.” </b>

She added, <b>“While I appreciate the efficiency of the police in catching these assassins, I am amazed at the lackadaisical attitude of your Government. The Home Ministry has taken these threats so casually, so lightly that I am appalled. When Varun met the Home Minister, the latter was so arrogant and careless of his duties that he simply informed him that he could not protect everyone in the country. It is as if you want Varun Gandhi to be killed.</b>

“In all my years of public life, I have never seen such a vicious and orchestrated campaign against one young person. This is a person whose honour and commitment towards his country cannot be faulted and yet, because he seems to be a political threat to you and your party, he is constantly and consistently attacked using all the weapons at your command,” she said.

“This daily attack on a young and idealistic parliamentarian, when you harbour so many criminals in your party and give them intense security cover, makes me wonder at your Government’s actual motive. I would request you to tell us the truth and keep us informed of the security risks so that we can protect ourselves. It is incumbent upon you to protect every citizen of this country against terrorists and anti-national forces. We cannot have Indians held hostage to your political agenda,” Maneka’s letter stated.

Sources in the Home Ministry said a decision on Varun’s demand to enhance his security cover in the light of the arrest of the six Shakeel men will be taken on Monday.

The Congress described Maneka’s outburst as “ironical”. “I find it most ironical that Mrs Maneka Gandhi is reacting so strongly but she did not react at all strongly when the remarks of the observation made by her son known to everybody at that time and now forensically proved to be (that of) her son created the biggest upheaval and divided this society,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

He added, “Let me tell you that the UPA Government has always provided even-handed protection to every citizen and it shall continue to do so.”
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