Maha Govt tables ATR on 26/11 panel; din in Legislature

Mumbai, June 16 (PTI) The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks
issue Tuesday rocked Maharashtra Legislature, with the state
government tabling the Action Taken Report (ATR) on the Ram
Pradhan probe panel and the opposition Shiv Sena-Bhartiya
Janata Party insisting that the panel's report also be tabled.

"The government has taken the decision not to table the
report keeping in view the fact that the 26/11 trial is on and
that there are certain sensitive things in the report on
security aspects of Mumbai and Maharashtra," Home Minister
Jayant Patil informed the Legislative Assembly.

Demanding that the Pradhan panel report be tabled,
Opposition members stalled proceedings, leading to the Lower
House being adjourned six times and the Council four times.

"We will take all actions contained in the ATR report
within three months," Patil said. The government has already
initiated measures like setting up of Force One, Quick
Response Team, beefing up coastal security and direct
recruitment of intelligence officers, he said.

Amid noisy scenes in the Council, three Sena-BJP members
were suspended for obstructing House proceedings and insulting
the Chair, after the House passed a resolution to the effect.

Patil said the government was ready for a debate on the
26/11 issue in the assembly but the Opposition was "out to
make a political capital of the matter."

"It won't be alright to disclose certain things in the
panel report before general public," the minister said.

The people of Maharashtra are watching the Opposition
members creating noisy scenes and shying away from discussion
on the ATR, Patil said.

"The Opposition does not have a single agenda left and
want to create an issue for the assembly elections," he added.

Accusing the Sena-BJP leaders of lacking "seriousness" to
debate on the report, the minister said, "they (Opposition)
lack the mentality to face the issue and debate on it."

The minister said he hoped for a speedy trial in the
26/11 case and that the lone surviving terrorist in custody,
Ajmal Kasab, is punished soon.

BJP group leader Eknath Khadse said the government
desisted from tabling the Pradhan panel report as "names of
three ministers figured in the report."

"The government should name the three ministers," he
said.

"You are presenting the test-tube baby (ATR) but show us
the father (Pradhan panel report)," Khadse said. PTI VT
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