A parliamentary panel, which was supposed take up the Pathankot terror attack issue on Monday, has deferred it for a week after the home ministry sought some more time, saying facts cannot be disclose
A parliamentary panel, which was supposed take up the Pathankot terror attack issue on Monday, has deferred it for a week after the home ministry sought some more time, saying facts cannot be disclosed at this stage as the investigations are on.
The parliamentary standing committee on home affairs, chaired by Congress MP from Rajya Sabha P. Bhattacharya, will now hear the home secretary on the recent disaster in Chennai caused by torrential rainfall and consequent flooding on January 18 as per the revised agenda. The panel has now asked the ministry to come with a response on Pathankot in a week.
After the panel sent an agenda to the MHA last week expressing its willingness to discuss the Pathankot attack, home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi sent a written reply to panel chairman Bhattacharya citing at least three reasons why the government is not willing to discuss the issue before the parliamentary panel at this stage.
The home secretary is learnt to have told the panel that the NIA has taken up the investigation and some information, which has been received, needs in-depth investigation. He is also learnt to have to communicated to the panel chairman that the government cannot explain all those details at this moment and will appreciate if the panel gives some more time.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, meanwhile, on Saturday appeared to suggest that the joint investigation team proposed by Pakistan may not be allowed to visit the Pathankot air base. “I can assure (or guarantee) that without my permission no one can come. Those terrorists who came in were the last,” he said.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs had earlier listed it in the agenda for the Monday meeting. Government has repeatedly been attacked by Congress on the Pathankot terror attack. In the 31-member panel, the BJP has 13 members, Congress-04, BJD-02, Trinamool Congress-02, AIADMK-03, CPI-M, CPI, SP, TRS, TDP, Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiv Sena one each. NDA members have majority in the panel.
