Thaindian News

Panaji, Oct 7 (IANS) Repeated alerts on television, quoting “intelligence inputs”, about possible terror attacks in Goa are rigged to derail the tourism industry in the coastal state, Home Minister Ravi Naik said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Naik said that “certain elements” were repeatedly trying to sabotage Goa’s tourism, which is a major source of revenue both for the state government and the coastal population.

“There is information flashed on television and other media that there is possibility of terror attack. It comes a little before the tourist season begins,” Naik said, debunking the reports.

“Why are there no such alerts during the off-season? Why is there no information about such attacks for the rest of the year,” Naik said.

Asked whether the state had received any specific inputs of a possible terror attack ahead of the festive season, the home minister said that there were some issues which “certainly could not be discussed in public”.

“I can’t say who, but there are certain elements behind spreading of such information. Maybe some hotel lobby or someone,” Naik said, hinting at a lobby outside the state which was trying to poach the 2.5 million tourists, who visit the state annually.

According to police officials, Pakistani American terror suspect David Coleman Headley had last year surveyed two coastal villages Anjuna and Arambol, 20 and 35 km from here respectively, which are frequented by Israeli tourists.

Headley, 48, is among the key conspirators of the Nov 26, 2008, Mumbai terror attack.