New Delhi: In the festival season, as pandals (tents) are decked up and markets are abuzz with shoppers, comes a dire warning from no less than the Home Minister, Shivraj Patil — terror attacks are likely at crowded places.
At the conference of Directors General of Police organised by the Intelligence Bureau, the Minister underlined that the new face of terror also has the support of modern technology.
"Religious places, police and politicians can be targeted. Sleeper cells can be found in mega cities and be used by them (terrorists)," said Patil.
Given the pattern of recent terror strikes where the target has been the common man, the Home Minister was just stating the obvious, but it's the information gaps at the grassroot level that's the cause for concern.
"The state governments need to analyse intelligence better,'' says Patil.
But while the common man has been warned of the danger ahead, the point also is that the Centre itself has done little to improve the intelligence gathering apparatus.
Despite the gaps, sources have told CNN-IBN that in the past year alone over 12 terror attempts have been foiled.
Says Uttar Pradesh DGP, Vikram Singh, "We have managed to neutralise a lot of HuJI terrorists in the border areas."
But with global terror targetting india, one thing is clear — when you go out shopping this festival season don't forget to look over your shoulder.
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