Cabinet committee on security discusses Pune blast

The cabinet committee on security today took stock of the situation arising out of the Pune bomb blast and is understood to have discussed issues related to the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan.

The meeting, chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh, was
attended by home minister P Chidambaram, finance minister
Pranab Mukherjee, external affairs minister SM Krishna and
defence minister, AK Antony.
  
National security adviser Shivshankar Menon, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and Union home secretary G K Pillai were also present during the hour-long meeting.

The meeting discussed the Pune blast and progress in investigations into the incident which took place ahead of the
Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks on February 25.

Emerging from the meeting, Chidambaram said, "I briefed the CCS on Pune blasts."

He refused to comment when asked whether the Indo-Pak talks would be held as per schedule. 

Earlier in the day, Antony also declined comment when asked whether the Pune blast would have any impact on the Indo-Pak talks. 

"The minister for external affairs (S M Krishna) has already given the government reaction. I don’t want to add to it," he said.

Krishna had yesterday said, "I do not wish to comment on the talks right now. Let us wait for the report (of the investigative agencies) first."

Sources yesterday indicated that the talks would go ahead despite the blast as "knee-jerk" reaction would not be helpful.