Lalu, Mulayam criticize Chidambaram for 'no intelligence failure' statement

New Delhi, July 14 (ANI): Leaders of the regional Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday criticized Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram over his statement that there was no intelligence failure on the serial blasts that rocked the financial capital of the country on Wednesday.

"Government does not have alertness there. Apart from investigations, dog squads are being sent, and they are telling the people to bear it. By saying all this it won't work. This should be taken seriously, and something should be done for the families who have lost their dear ones," RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav told mediapersons after a meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

"If the Home (interior) Minister is saying that it is not an intelligence failure then what happened? How did these blasts occur? If you cared about the public then why did you not take any precaution? Vaguely a report is given that there should be an alert, it doesn't work this way. There is no monitoring," he added.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said: "One should understand that Mumbai faced a huge terror attack and again it has occurred and no information was received. Mr. Chidambaram should not have said this that it is not a failure. It is indeed a failure."

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram earlier today rejected suggestions from the media that there was intelligence failure on the part of the state and central governments in connection with Wednesday's serial blasts in Mumbai.

Addressing a joint press conference with Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in Mumbai, Chidambaram said: "There has been no intelligence failure. There was no intelligence warning about 13/7."

t least 18 people were killed over 130 others were injured in the three blasts that took place in Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

The three serial blasts rocked Zaveri Bazaar, a popular jewellery market, the busy business area around Opera House and the crowded Dadar area of Central Mumbai between 6.45 p.m. and 7.04 p.m. (ANI)