369 Statement by [3 DEC
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369 Statement by [3 DEC. 19961 Minister 370 STATEMENT BY MINISTER information which has come to us only in the last one hour. I wish to add that and Blast in Jammu-Bound Jhelum Express ate you can take it as some sort of a Ambala Cantonment on 7 12.1996-Contd. supplementary statement to what the SHRI NILOTPAL BASU: Madam, we Railway Minister has already said. It is made a point earlier. This is not a simple up to you to decide whether you have... railway accident. This is an act of THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: It is not terrorists. Therefore, in the fitness of a statement. Statement on the railway things, if the statement had come from accident has already been made by the the Home Minister, I think, it could have Minister of Railways. covered the proper ambit of the entire SHRI VAYALAR RAVI: Madam, the development. Minister is ready to make a statement. THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Then, your suggestion is that the hon. Home THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: He did Minister should also, be present... it, perhaps, when you were not here. I (Interruptions)... am sorry that Members don't remain in the House and when the discussion takes SHRI VISHNU, KANT SHASTRI: place they ask as to where the statement Madam, I support him. is. You locate it. You ask your colleagues ... (Interruptions),.. who were present in the House. A THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: statement on the railway accident has Tomorrow or whenever it is listed. already been made. Now the Minister has ...(Interruptions)... Today it is too late. come to reply to clarifications. Even the SHRI JOHN F. FERN ANDES (Goa): Home Minister has come for Madam, the hon. Home Minister can also supplementing the information because of intervene. The Railway Minister is here. the request of the Members. Mr. Home ...(Interruptions)... The Statement has Minister. already been made by the Railway SHRI INDRAJIT GUPTA: 1 have Minister. some supplementary information. SHRI NILOTPAL BASU: The THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: You Railway Minister has already come with a please share that supplementary statement ... (Interruptions)... information with the House. I will not THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Let me allow any Member to interrupt you. hear the Home Minister. SHRI INDRAJIT GUPTA: Madam, THE MINISTER OF HOME the blast in the train *at Ambala took AFFAIRS (SHRI INDRAJIT GUPTA). place, as you know, in the very early A statement has already been made in hours of the morning. A joint team, this House by the hon. Railway Minister, consisting of the Special Secretary and then I was told that members had (Security) of the Ministry of Home insisted here that when the time comes Affairs, a Deputy Director in the IB, and for them to seek clarifications and so on, an Additional Commissioner of Police, I must be present. That is why I came. Special Branch, Delhi, was sent to Chandigarh to take stock of the situation THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Mr. and to co-ordinate the efforts of Home Minister, your presence will mean investigation and so on. As far as the that Members would put questions to you casualties are concerned, I have nothing too. to add to what the Railway Minister has SHRI INDRAJIT GUPTA: They may already said. The same figures which he put questions to me. They have every gave have been corroborated by the team right to do so. Before that, if it so pleases which went from here. The Haryana you, then I would like to add some Police, the Punjab Police and the Delhi 371 Statement by [RAJYA SABHA] Minister 372 Police are making a co-ordinated effort buildings and security of protected for investigation of the whole affair and persons including targeted Akali leaders. forensic science experts from Haryana You know, Madam, one Akali MLA was and Punjab have also visited the site in also shot dead at Ropar yesterday. There order to determine the nature of is an apprehension that these terrorist explosion, what acutally caused the activities may have something to do with explosion. Madam, this team which was the coming elections. Co-ordinated action sent this morning was quite a high-level involving the IB and the Police of team. Punjab, Haryana the UT of Chandigarh, It has come back about a little more Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir than an hour ago from Ambala and Delhi was stressed. Joint raids, cantonment and they say that according exchange of lists of terrorists and of to indications available at present, the intelligence input was emphasised. It was explosion appears to have been caused by also suggested that Security should be RDX type of material. This explosive beefed up for the trains, all night buses material was reportedly kept in a suitcase passing through Haryana and Punjab. It or a bag under scat number 64 in a is also directed that all buses and trains sleeper coach. Samples have been taken should be fully protected by the State from the spot but the analysis report is police and the GRP and the RPF. It was still to come. The officials of Haryana, decided also that after development of Punjab and Delhi police who visited the information and co-ordiations between spot say that there docs not appear to be intelligence agencies and the police force, any evidence of using any timer device. It simultaneous raids should be carried out could have been a remote controlled at those terrorist hideouts about which device, in which case, of course, it could they have got information. This is all I have been triggered off at the Ambala have got at the moment. I am afraid, I station itself or it could be a timer bomb am not able to add anything to it just device which they say is more likely. The now. If by tomorrow or tomorrow train was running a little late. It left the morning some further factual information cantonment station about ten minutes is available, I will be glad to share it in late. If there were a timer device, it could the House. have gone off after the train had actually THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: I have entered Punjab. This is more likely. And certain names and beyond that I cannot that was the intention. The Jhelum allow. Express was running behind schedule by AN HON. MEMBER: I want to ask about half an hour. It appears that the the Home Minister.... blast was planned to take place in the running train once the train had entered THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: There Punjab area after leaving Ambala station are 12 names already. I would call them in which case the casulty might have been one by one, and if time permits, you also much more. No terrorist group as yet has can ask. claimed responsibility for the blast. The indications are that it could have been planned by the Babbar Khalsa. The Special Secretary, Internal Security, Ministry of Home Affairs, held a meeting at Chandigarh at 11. a.m. with the Home Secretaries and the Director Generals of Police of Punjab and Haryana. There was a joint meeting which took stock of the situation and called for tightening of the security at public places. Government 373 Statement by I3 DEC 1996] Minister 374 375 Statement by [RAJYA SABHA] Minister 376 Railway Ministry would like to do, to give them compensation. No where does the statement indicated that there is an action of the terrorists, that this has been deliberately done by the terrorists. The most important element of the thing is that this has been a programme of the terrorists, whatever may be the political intentions. If it is not noted there, if the Railway Ministry is not aware about the gravity of the situation, about the involvement of the terrorists, about their game-plan, then I am afraid, no preventive action can be taken by the Railways. I agree, this matter comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, but afterall, precaution can be taken if there is a joint move. Therefore, the hon. Railway Minister's statement, I think, is devoid of the basic element, of an act of terrorists. Secondly, hon. Members have described this as an accident. It is not an accident. It is a deliberate action, of a planned nature. Therefore, it is a rare case of unparalleled brutality on the part of the terrorists. Sir, this has its political intentions. They would like to create a scare before the elections. They would like to give the impression that terrorism has not died down. They would like to give a signal to their followers that they are very much active. They would like to give a signal that India or the people should not believe that terrorism has been liquidated in the country, as is being claimed. It has its political intentions, for two reasons. One is because of the elections in Punjab. Another is because of the normalcy that is being restored in Kashmir. It has wider political ramifications. That should have been there in the statement. Anyway, the main question that arises here is whether there has been any SHRI GURUDAS DAS GUPTA: Sir, intelligence lapse. The only question that going through the statement made by the I would like the hon. Home Minister to hon. Railway Minister, I must say that reply is whether there has been any this is a deplorable statement. The intelligence lapse. I say this because there statement has been made about certain are reports that there was a tip-off from accident, loss of life and what the certain quarters that some such thing 377 Statement by [3 DEC.