PM for invoking NSA, setting up federal body to tackle terror

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Shocked by the attacks in Mumbai, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the government would invoke the National Security Act, set up a Federal Investigation Agency and tighten the laws to deal with terrorism effectively.

Addressing the nation in an extraordinary step, he said
the terrorist group responsible for the carnage in Mumbai was
"based outside the country" and promised to choke the
infiltration lines and funds to ensure that such elements pay
a "heavy price" for such "cowardly and horrific" acts.

Talking tough, Singh said India will not tolerate the
use of territories of its neighbours for launching attacks
here and there would be a "cost" if suitable measures are not
taken by them.

"It is evident that the group which carried out these
attacks, based outside the country, had come with the
single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial
capital of the country," he said referring to the Mumbai
attacks.

India will take up "strongly with our neighbours
that the use of their territory for launching attacks on us
will not be tolerated and that there would be a cost if
suitable measures are not taken by them", Singh said.

He asserted that "strongest possible measures" would be
taken to deal with such elements, including the use of the
National Security Act and setting up of a Federal
Investigation Agency to prevent such incidents.

While the National Security Act would be used to deal
with situations of this kind, existing laws would be tightened
to ensure that there were no loopholes available to terrorists
to escape the clutches of the law, he said.

"We are not prepared to countenance a situation in
which the safety and security of our citizens can be violated
with impunity by terrorists," the Prime Minister said.

"It is essential to immediately set up a Federal
Investigation Agency to go into terrorist crimes of this kind
and ensure that the guilty are brought to book," he said.

He said the government would take "a number of measures
to strengthen the hands" of police and investigation
authorities. "We will curb the flow of funds to suspect
organisations. We will restrict the entry of suspects into the
country," Singh said.

"We will go after these individuals and organisations
and make sure that every perpetrator, organiser and supporter
of terror, whatever his affiliation or religion may be, pays a
heavy price for these cowardly and horrific acts against our
people," he said.

He said police reforms would be attended to in an urgent
and serious manner "so that the law and order authorities can
work unitedly, effectively and in a determined manner to
tackle such threats to national integrity."

On Mumbai attacks, he said the "well-planned and
well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages,
were intended to create a sense of panic by choosing high-
profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners."

Paying glowing tributes to the police officers and men
who were killed in the attacks, he said "I salute the courage
and patriotism of the police officers, including the Chief of
the Anti-Terror Squad Hemant Karkare and men who have laid
down their lives in fighting these terrorists."

He appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony
so that "the enemies of our country do not succeed in their
nefarious designs." PTI AKK