Home Ministry's claim of normalcy nailed by RTI reply

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Home Ministry's claim of normalcy nailed by RTI reply

New Delhi (PTI): As many as 351 civilians and security personnel had lost their lives so far this year in various terrorist related incidents in the country, according to the Union Home Ministry, nailing claims that the situation on this front was improving.

The figures were provided by Director (Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry P K Mishra in response to an RTI application filed by Dev Ashish Bhattacharya, an RTI activist.

These figures, however, do not include the recent serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh in which 14 people were killed and over 60 injured.

Union Home Ministry officials and even Home Minister Shivraj Patil have often claimed that the law and order situation in the country had shown a drastic improvement.

However, the ministry's figures present a different picture where the casualty rate among civilians and security personnel had increased almost three times during the last five years.

In 2003, 143 people were killed and 464 injured. The figure for 2004 stood at 107 (killed) and 262 (injured) and in 2005, 114 were killed and 604 injured.

However, the figures increased three times in 2006 when 386 people were killed in various terror attacks and 1,853 injured, the reply said, adding in 2007, the number of civilians and security personnel killed up to October 27 this year was 351 while 249 were injured.


The Hindu News Update Service