New Delhi, December 20
With tension mounting in India-Pakistan relations in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this evening held a meeting with senior ministers and service chiefs, and is believed to have discussed the security scenario and the defence preparedness.
According to sources, the Prime Minister held talks with defence minister A.K. Antony, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P. Chidambaram and national security adviser M.K. Narayanan. The service chiefs and intelligence chiefs were also summoned for the meeting later.
The meeting assumes importance in view of Pakistan’s refusal to cooperate with India in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. The meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) capped a series of high-level interactions held earlier in the day at different levels to beef up security across the country, especially in border areas.
Earlier in the day, the defence minister presided over a meeting with Coast Guard and his ministry officials to review the security of Indian coastline at which he cleared the acquisition proposals for the sea-guarding agency.
