Press Briefing Thursday, 2nd Apr 2009

Shri P. Chidambaram addressed the media today.

Shri Chidambaram talked about the over-all security situation. He said that the Congress led UPA Government has done everything which is required to be done in order to maintain law, peace and order and to conduct the elections peacefully. In the next 41 days, I am confident that the law and order and peace will be maintained and elections will take place all over the country peacefully. There is no need for any panic and no need for any alarm. Shri Chidambaram said that we have taken all measures that are required to be taken. We have placed enough security forces at the disposal of the Election Commission and States have been sensitized to work with the Election Commission and ensure that polling takes place peacefully.

Shri Chidambaram said that in the run up to the elections, the decibel level will go up. The decibel level in the debate will go up. It is important to focus on real issues. There will be a number of stories which are either circulated or planted. Shri Chidambaram said that it is important that you must be able to segregate the real issues. The real issues are, of course, Security, Growth . both faster growth and inclusive growth . and communal harmony and peace. I represented a constituency which is largely rural and in that constituency the concerns are, which I just told you. On Security, the environment in South Asia has deteriorated, nothing to do with India because what is happening in Afghanistan, Pakistan, to some extent in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and to some extent in Nepal. The over all security situation has deteriorated in these countries. We are, therefore to be on guard, to be ever vigilant which I assure you we are.

Shri Chidambaram said that on communal harmony and peace, let me tell you very humbly and respectfully that we cannot fight terrorism, we cannot communalism. It is important to languish the communal agenda if you wish to languish the terrorist agenda and only a united people and a united country can fight terror. A country divided on religious and caste lines cannot fight terror. Therefore, we believe that it is the Congress Party alone which has the capacity to fight terror as the head of the Government. Most people in India want to live like brothers and sisters. We cannot constantly suspect our neighbors. We have to live in peace. Our children, our grand children have to grow up in a country where there will be people belonging to different faiths, speaking different languages and different levels of development. It is only the Congress Party, because of its history, its tradition, its policies and its leadership, can unite the country to fight communalism as well as fight terror.

Shri Chidambaram said that most important thing is growth. The purpose of Government is development. All parties promise that there will be development for everyone but who has delivered in the last 5 years and who has delivered in the 15 years. When we talked about growth in the first four years. There were parties opposed to more growth. What is the use of the growth? We have evolved huge amount of funds something like 3 lakh Crore Rupees was devolved in 2008-09 to the State Governments in the form of share of tax revenues, grants, loans and special grants. They said what is the use of all this money, what is the use of growth and this year 2008-09 when growth dipped a bit, immediately all of them have clambered on to the band wagon, where is the growth.

Shri Chidambaram said that the Congress led UPA Government delivered unprecedented growth for four years and when it has dipped a little bit slightly, they ask us where the growth is. Shri Chidambaram assured that we will overcome the difficult year 2008-09 and was sure that the growth will end up close to 7%. In 2009-10, somewhere by September 2009, the recovery will begin and surely in 2009-10, as our Prime Minister said in London, we will get back to 9% growth. Shri Chidambaram said that which party can promise to the people of this country that we can get back to 9% growth. Which party has the qualities and which party has the programmes. It is only the Congress Party which can return the country with 9% growth.

To a question over Varun Gandhi.s security and meeting with Shri Advani, Shri Chidambaram said that he received a letter from Shri Varun Gandhi. We have asked the Security agencies to assess his security requirement and provide security according to the requirements. He has written letters in normal course to major political leaders conveying the .dos and don.ts. of the Security agencies and sensitizing their security.

Shri Chidambaram further said that he had invited all the leaders to meet either him or his officers. If they wish to brief but in the case of Shri Advani - he is the leader of opposition, so, in deference to his position, Shri Chidambaram said that he thought it would be appropriate if he calls on Shri Advani and brief him on security and accordingly spent about 10 minutes with him on his security requirements.

To a further question whether BJP is not in a position to tackle the terrorism, Shri Chidambaram said that only a united country can fight terror. He further said that if the USA has been able to fight terror, it was only because the country is united behind the President of the day. The BJP.s agenda is a divisive agenda; it looks at everything through a prism of religion, so it divides the country. When you divide the country, you cannot fight terror. It is the only the Congress Party which can unite the country and only a united country can fight the terror.

To the question of a group of 20 terrorists possibly infiltrating into India through the borders of Bangladesh and targeting Chandni Chowk and Khan Market, Shri Chidambaram said that he does not want to comment on specific stories that are broadcast on media. Much of that is not true. There are reports from time to time of attempted infiltration and further said that as you may have seen in the last 2-3 weeks, our security forces have thwarted and neutralized every attempt of infiltration across LOC or international border in Kashmir.

On the question of security of Shri Varun Gandhi and during the elections, Shri Chidambaram said that intelligence is being gathered, shared and analyzed on real time basis and every piece of information is acted upon and when there is a genuine threat, steps are being taken to pre-empt any terrorist activity or neutralize any terrorist activity. This is based upon the interrogation of a person who has been arrested. Among the names he mentioned was the name of ShriVarun Gandhi but given the circumstances under which he was arrested, the distance and the place, I think the way in which it has been presented in the media is rather exaggerated. But certainly since Shri Varun Gandhi is at the moment a candidate, the party which disowns his use, owns up his candidacy, he will be given protection.

To the question of Shri Sharad Pawar reaching Bhubneshwar for a rally of the Third Front, Shri Chidambaram said that the Congress Party has an alliance with the NCP in Maharashtra; there is an effort to stitch up an alliance in Gujarat and Goa. He is not in alliance with us in Orissa. It will be good if Shri Sharad Pawar did not share platform with parties in the Third Front which are opposing the Congress Party in Orissa.

Tom Vadakkan

Secretary, AICC