An angry Maneka Gandhi shot off a letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh accusing his government of "lackadaisical" attitude in dealing with the threat to the life of her son Varun Gandhi, a BJP MP, and demanded proper security.
A day after Delhi Police said it has arrested six sharpshooters of Chota Shakeel gang allegedly planning to kill the lawyer of Varun, Maneka said, "I find it bizarre that we have never been informed of any attempts or even been advised on any security precautions. We simply learn of these attempts through the media".
Maneka alleged that the UPA government was carrying out a "vicious and orchestrated" campaign against one young person because he seems to be a "political threat" to Manmohan Singh and his party. "He is constantly and consistently attacked
using all the weapons at your command," she told the prime minister.
Recalling her conversation with the Delhi Police Commissioner, who "refused to confirm" that it was Varun who was target of the killers, she said, "I am amazed at the lackadaisical attitude of your government."
"The home ministry has taken these threats so casually, so lightly that I am appalled. When Varun met the home minister, the latter was so arrogant and careless of his duties that he simply informed him that he could not protect everyone in the country. It is as if you want Varun Gandhi to be killed," she said.
The letter said, "It is with the deepest concern for my son's life and safety that I write to you today."
29-year-old Varun, in a separate statement, said while he was not personally intimidated by such cowardly threats, strong precautions must be taken to defeat the desperate designs of extremist elements.
"The home ministry should respond with the urgency and responsibility that behoves those entrusted with the safety of a whole nation," he said, claiming that it was a plot against his life by dangerous underworld criminals.
Delhi Police claimed yesterday that the gang had come to the capital to allegedly kill the lawyer of Varun, whose case challenging the UP government's slapping of National Security Act against him for provocative speech was contested by a battery of lawyers, including Mukul Rohtangi and Sidharth Luthra.
In her letter to the prime minister, Maneka said that they should be kept informed of such issues so that "we can protect ourselves".
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