The Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combined opposition on Tuesday took the Maharashtra government to task for the Mumbai terror attacks and demanded removal of state's Director General of Police A N Roy and Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor for alleged lapses.
The BJP sought a probe into utilisation of funds given by the Centre to deal with possible terror attacks through sea routes following an intelligence report. The removal of Home Secretary Chitkala Zutshi was also demanded.
The demand was made in the Assembly and in the Council after adjournment motions were moved by the Opposition on the second day of the winter session of State Legislature.
Opposition Leader in the Assembly Ramdas Kadam, while assuring to extend all cooperation to the Congress-led government to combat terrorism, listed alleged failures of the police and the government in preventing the attacks. The lower house also suspended question hour.
Holding both Roy and Gafoor, along with Zutshi, responsible for the alleged lapses, Kadam demanded that the three top officers be removed from service immediately.
Kadam said the three top police officers including Anti-terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who lost their lives, were wearing sub-standard bullet proof jackets.
"Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal has said that coastal states were alerted over possible attack by sea route and the Centre had also provided funds to tackle the threat. Where did these funds go?" BJP leader Nitin Gadkari asked in the Legislative Council.
Gadkari charged the state government with being responsible for faulty weapons given to the police force and for 'not providing proper training to fight terrorists'.
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