Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its criticism on unsolved blast cases, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Friday said that two of the six cases pointed out by the party were being handled by state governments, including one by BJP-ruled Karnataka.

Rebutting BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s criticism, Chidambaram said: “Someone needs to remind my friend Arun Jaitley that there are state governments too in this country. I think he has forgotten that there are state governments, some of which are being ruled by his own party.”

The two cases, he said, related to a blast in Bangalore and another in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The other four are blasts in Delhi.

“I am disappointed that the Karnataka and Varanasi blast cases continue to remain unsolved. I cannot take responsibility for these cases,” a combative home minister said at a press conference here, two days after a high intensity blast outside Delhi High Court complex claimed 13 lives and left nearly 90 injured.

Two low intensity blasts outside Chinnaswamy stadium on April 17, 2010, left 10 wounded ahead of an IPL match.

A low intensity blast at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi on Dec 7, 2010, left a two-year-old girl dead and another 25 injured.

Defending the police and security personnel over BJP’s criticism of their functioning, Chidambaram said: “While we point out slackness, we should have the conscience to appreciate the tough job that they are doing.”

He listed the tough service conditions in which policemen work for long hours and in touch terrain and weather conditions.

He also appealed to the people to cooperate with the security forces in ensuring their own safety.

“People must cooperate with the security forces. It is a shared responsibility between the people and the security forces” to be vigilant and intimate suspicious persons, objects or movements.

On criticism that closed-circuit television cameras were not installed in the Delhi High Court, Chidambaram said the Delhi Public Works Department had to cancel the tenders several times over the last two-and-half years, fearing that they will be slammed for their decision.

“Criticism happens when a decision is taken. Criticism happens when a decision is not taken. I have not hesitated in taking decisions. Some will certainly criticise, but I am prepared for such criticism,” he added.