NEW DELHI: The BJD today expressed dissatisfaction over the overall handling of the situation for neutralising terrorist attack at the Pathankot air force base questioning the government’s silence over the issue of accountability, its decision of deploying NSG commandos instead of army personnel and lack of timely response by intelligence sleuths on tip-offs over terrorists movement in the air base.
Initiating the debate in the Lok Sabha on Recent Terror Attacks at Pathankot Airbase under Rule 193, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deb of the BJD said, “I do not intend to view it as subject of politics. This is not an issue of politics but it is for evolving protocol needed for dealing with such difficult situations. “What emerged at forefront in the wake of the attack is that who should be taken as accountable and who should be taken a decision maker.
The Home Minister must respond to this question.” “Superintendent of Police of the district was abducted. Suppose some day, an Army General is kidnapped, will the Defence Minister sit as a mute spectator,” he questioned in his bid to elaborate his point. Mr Deb said a 50,000 strong army strength was available in Pathankot but the authorities did opt to call in some NSG commandos for countering attack and neutralising the terrorists…they made an actually smaller operation into bigger one that stretched over 48 hours.
While, forces in Pathankot took 48 hours to neutralise terrorists, the French forces in Paris dealing with more larger terror strikes neutralised terrorists within two hours, he observed.
The BJD member said, “Lack of proper crisis management led to the utter confusion that prevailed up to the level of the Home Minister reflecting from the tweets by the Home Minister on the evening of January 2.(Agencies)
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