Shivraj Patil : Time to go Home

The terror scare in Jama Masjid has passed as the bombs used in the attack were crude, low intensity and caused little damage. The situation could have been totally different had the casualty numbers been higher or a higher number of dead. The attacks follow a spate of terror attacks in the country. After Delhi, Varanasi, Kashmir and now Jama Masjid brings to light the detriorating internal security. The terror attacks coupled with the rise of Naxalism in the “red corridor” are real causes of concern. Ultimately, in terms of internal security, the buck stops with the Home Minister. Shivraj Patil has enjoyed the trust of Sonia Gandhi and that of the PM (in that order) over the years and was rewarded for his sycophantic skills with the prized post of the Home Minister. Another reason for having Patil as the Home Minister and not a person like Pranab Mukherjee was that Sonia Gandhi and the PM didn't want an alternate power source in the Government. It is no secret that Pranab Mukherjee is the most powerful person in the Cabinet and his elevation as the Home Minister would have seriously undermined the Prime Minister.

So we are stuck with a Home Minister whose performance as has been extremely poor and the his only success has been apparently in his suave sense of dressing! The Prime Minister has gone on recors to say that Naxalism is the biggestthreat to country today. However, he has left it that and has not brought about any credible plan to tackle the problem. What is required is a strong interior minister with experience in the field who can tackle the internal war that is raging inthe country. Also, India has been on the receiving end of terrorism for decades, the NDA regime saw LK Advani acting tough on state sponsored and home grown terrorists. Today, with repeated attacks on the country has left the citizens jittery and wondering they might be next targets in this continuing fight against terror. We require a HomeMinister who can show results and up the ante agianst the terrorists and the Naxals. There is a crying need to also improve our intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing amongst various agencies and state police to help stall terror plots. All these important changes will only come about with a stog Home Minister in charge.

More so it is high time the PM steps in and holds those responsible for maintaining the nations internal security responsible and accountable. And on those counts Mr. Patil desrves to go. It is now for t he Pm to decide what is more important - sycophancy or national security.