Pune Restaurant was a soft target for attack; no intelligence failure: Home Minister
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, February 15, 2010
The restaurant was a 'soft' target; no intelligence failure: Home Minister
Union Government has denied any failure on the part of intelligence agencies to prevent the Pune bomb attack. Home Minister P. Chidamabaram said that the German Bakery Restaurant was a 'soft' target for this kind of attack.
After visiting the blast site and meeting the injured in Pune Home Miniseter said that the area housing Jewish Chabad House and Osho Ashram was on terrorists radar and the police has sanitized the area in past.
However, he said that it is difficult to provide all round security to 'soft targets'.
"There is no intelligence failure, but please remember this is not an overt attack by gunmen. This is an insidious bomb that had been planted in what appears to be a backpack," the Home Minister said.
He termed Chabad House and Osho Ashram as hard targets. He said, "But apart from hard targets, there are soft targets...All these are soft targets where foreigners and Indians congregate especially during the peak hours."
Home Minister observed that these establishments will have to adopt some security measures and it is not possible for police to check every person or bag at all times.
He said the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has taken over the case and constituted teams to investigate Saturday night's blast that left nine people dead and 57 injured.
The government has announced the compensation of Rs. Five lacs for relatives of the bomb attack victims.
