Chidambaram Replaces Patil; NSA To Continue

This news updete by www.zeenews.com





New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday asked M K Narayanan to continue as National Security Advisor. The NSA had earlier in the day offered to resign in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks. Dr Singh, however, accepted Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s resignation and replaced him with Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

The NSA had offered to quit, minutes after the PM and President Pratibha Patil accepted Shivraj Patil’s resignation.

A spokesman of the Congress party earlier said that Shivraj Patil took moral responsibility for the recent co-ordinated attacks in Mumbai that killed at least 183 people and injured 295.

Defending Patil, the spokesman said that the Home Ministry took appropriate steps following the worst terror attack on the Indian soil.

The PM will now take charge of the Finance Ministry that was under the control of Chidambaram.

As the speculations over Patil’s prospective successor gain momentum, former NSA Brajesh Mishra held a meeting with Dr Singh. Details of the meeting are not available as yet.

There are also reports that Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh can be the next in line after Patil and Narayanan to be asked to quit in the wake of the ghastly attacks. Reports claim that Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan can replace the Maharashtra CM.

Deshmukh has rejected to bow down to any pressure, saying there is “no reason for me to resign”.

Intelligence Bureau Director P C Halder, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and other bureaucrats can also be asked to quit.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who caught headlines yesterday when he described Mumbai terror attacks as “small incidents”, has also refused to give up his post. Instead, Patil questioned that when Akshardham was attacked, why Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not resign.

Shivraj Patil had reportedly offered to resign at yesterday’s Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting after facing flak from the members. At the meeting, he reportedly said that he “takes the responsibility and whatever the CWC decides, I am ready to do".

At the CWC meet, members criticised Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for failing to prevent the attacks.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Dr Singh are also reported to have pulled up Patil for failing to take enough measures to prevent such attacks.

Patil came under attack for failing to take note of inputs from intelligence about a possible attack on Mumbai.

In a snub to Patil, the Prime Minister yesterday did not invite him to a meeting with top Defence and Home Ministry officials.

In the meeting, Dr Singh held a lengthy two-and-half-hour discussion with Defence Minister AK Antony and officers from the armed forces and the intelligence agencies on ways to prevent recurrence of such terror attacks, government sources told reporters.

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