Punjab's former police chief KPS Gill today said Mumbai police should have led the counter-offensive during the 26/11 terror attacks.
"Mumbai police knew that the financial capital was on terrorists' target list. Still the city police could not prepare itself for such attacks. During the terror attacks here on November 26, I felt that instead of NSG, the city police should have led the assault against terrorists," Gill said.
Gill was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on "Preparedeness to fight terrorism" organised by Mumbai police. National Security Guards had to take up the charge to neutralise the terrorists after the Iconic hotels Taj Mahal, Trident and other places in south Mumbai were attacked on November 26 last year.
Gill said that the first responders should be local police, who should be equipped with modern weapons, trained and motivated to counter terrorism. "See how we had fought the terrorists. Punjab has showed the way to others on to how to eliminate terrorism," he said.
Gill, who retired from IPS in 1995, said before blaming Pakistan for rise in terror activities India should set its own house in order. "Today there is a political consensus on corruption rather than fighting terrorism. Our political leaders have agreeed that it is all right to loot the country to any extent," Gill said at the seminar on 'Preparedness to fight Terrorism'.
Seconding his opinion, security analyst Ajay Sahni said, "It is not just terrorists who are using Hawala transactions to transfer money. Hawala is being used by several others including corrupt officials and politicians."
Sahni further said India has a flourishing grey market where one can get smuggled goods easily. "If this cannot be controlled then how can the police ensure that one bag of explosives does not get through," Sahni said.
