JOIN USChidambaram alerts states after Karachi attack
“I have described our neighbourhood as a troubled neighbourhood. This incident once again points to that conclusion that our neighbourhood is a troubled neighbourhood,” Chidambaram said at a press conference here.
The minister expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the terror attack in Karachi and issued an alert to all the states in its aftermath to step up vigil.
“We have to remain constantly on vigil and we remain vigilant round the clock,” he said.
Asked to comment on reports that Taliban chief Mullah Omar was killed in Pakistan, Chidambaram said there were contradictory versions and “we have to wait and see whether the report is correct”. He, however, said India had “some information” on Omar’s movements. “But that was only information we picked up. Today, Afghan authorities have disclosed he was killed,” he said.
Referring to the newly elected Trinamool Congress-led government in the West Bengal, the Home Minister he said the state government has its task cut out and will have to “redouble” its efforts to cease illegal arms proliferating in some of the districts.
Chidambaram said the recent recovery of large caches of illegal arms in different parts of West Bengal was a matter of “grave concern” and that he had advised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take measures to seize more illegal weapons.
He said since May 14, a day after the results of West Bengal Assembly polls were declared, police have conducted about 100 raids and recovered 1,109 fire arms and 11,088 rounds of ammunition of different varieties from various parts of West Midnapore district.
He said over 140 people have been arrested and that bulk of the arms and ammunition was recovered from the proximity of CPM offices and have been shown “unclaimed”.