NEW DELHI: Ina significant signal to the Assam Government, Minister of State for Home Rajesh Pilot told the Rajya Sabha that if warranted by the situation, the Center would not hesitate to take appropriate steps against a State Government in the overall national interest.
Responding to some Opposition members’ persistent query about the fate of the Assam Government if ethnic violence continued to erupt, the minister said that the Center would not hesitate to take strong measures to safeguard the interest of the nation.
In reply to a specific question from S. D. Singh (JD) as to the center’s response in case Barpeta type massacres recurred, the minister Said that political considerations would not stand in the way of taking a drastic step, In this regard he cited the instance of Manipur where the Congress Government had been dismissed because of its failure 0 check ethnic violence. “The nation is more important,” he remarked.
Replying to the short duration debate on the killing of about 50 persons at a refugee camp in Barpeta, Pilot admitted that there had been an intelligence failure. He said that a better coordination between the State administration and the intelligence networks could have prevented the tragedy, Action has already been taken against the responsible officials, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 5, 1994
