Author: Our Political Bureau
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: September 30, 2002
Introduction: But asks media to
provide a careful and serious coverage of terrorist violence
In a not-so-veiled attack on the
Haryana Police, which accorded VIP treatment to the prime accused in the
Shivam Bhatnagar murder case, deputy prime minister LK Advani today said
recent reports did not reflect well on the state of affairs. "We are worried
about the criminal justice system, especially the division of police of
two states. The media reports in the last two days do not reflect on the
police department as a whole," Mr Advani said at the meeting of DGPs and
intelligence chiefs. The statement of Mr Advani comes also in the back-drop
of allegations that the IPS officer enjoyed support of the Haryana police
in the past two months.
Mr Advani also used the occasion
to tell the media to be more 'careful' and 'serious' while reporting terrorist
violence. Making a distinction between the media coverage of the September
11 terror strikes and those in India on Parliament, in Jammu & Kashmir
or Gandhi-nagar, Mr Advani said: 'We must not contribute to what the terrorists
want to create. One should realise the implications about showing mangled
corpses.
The deputy prime minister also strongly
defended the intelligence agencies, and deplored the routine cries of intelligence
failure in the wake of terror attacks. Mr Advani complimented the security
agencies for identifying the two terrorists as Mohd Amjad Bhai of Lahore
and Hafiz Yasir of Attock within two days of the attack. He pointed out
that instead of taking a positive view, a few newspapers even questioned
the great job done by the intelligence agencies. 'I have also not found
the names of three of our valiant commandos who were killed in action at
Akshardham. I would think this is news. I have not seen any newspaper carrying
this story,' he said. Probably, Mr Advani was referring to reports that
said the NSG carried out a messy operation as they could not take the fidayeens
alive.
