New Delhi, July 11
The Centre today said the serial grenade attacks in Srinagar were aimed at “derailing the peace process” in the trouble-torn Jammu and Kashmir, but the confidence-building measures will “not slow down.”
Union Home Secretary V. K Duggal said the state police had leads about the culprits and they would be nabbed “very soon.”
The attacks were aimed at “derailing the peace process,” he said and made a veiled attack on Pakistan by saying that the training of militants, supply of equipment and their support structure was “not possible without strong backing.”
To a question on whether New Delhi will have a relook at the Confidence- Building Measures (CBMs) with Pakistan, Mr Duggal said there was no such thinking that the peace process would be “halted or slowed down”. He said there was nothing to stop the government from taking the “strongest possible measures” against the militants “but two wrongs will not make a right.”
The Home Secretary said there was no decision to increase forces but local commanders would “redeploy them where there are more problems.”
When asked whether there was an intelligence failure, he said it was very easy to put such a question but pointed out that major incidents have been averted because of vital intelligence inputs and huge cache of arms and ammunition seized.
The Home Secretary recalled that only two days ago, Riaz Butt, who had masterminded some grenade attacks, had been “neutralised” at Pulgam.
He said the attack on soft targets was a matter of great concern and “we have to work doubly hard”.
“We are constantly in touch with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. They have leads. They will get these people very soon,” Mr Duggal said, while responding to a question regarding the involvement of local elements in the attacks.
He said, “The government strongly condemns the most cowardly act on innocent, unsuspecting tourists. Nobody has claimed responsibility as yet but we know we are going to get them.”
Pointing out that the militants attacking the “softest of soft target” was a “matter of concern”, Mr Duggal said “they have grouped a whole lot of vagabonds, criminals, adventurists and others (to carry out the attacks).
He, however, said there was no re-think on the ongoing peace process. Recalling that militant attacks had declined since 1992, he said building bridges was having an impact on the people. “Nothing comes easy. It will take time.”
The Home Secretary said out of the seven persons, who were killed in today’s grenade attacks, six were tourists from West Bengal. He said arrangements had been made for air transportation of the bodies of the victims. Besides, all preparations had been made for providing best possible treatment to the injured, he added.
