PM apologises over Mumbai attacks

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday apologised to the country for the government's inability to prevent the Mumbai attacks and vowed to gear up the security apparatus to prevent recurrence of such incidents besides building pressure on Pakistan to end the scourge.
    
Making an intervention during the debate on the Mumbai attacks in Lok Sabha, Singh noted the action by Pakistan against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed but asserted that Islamabad needed to do "much more" to take things to logical conclusion and convince the world about its actions.
    
Outlining steps to gear up the country's security system to meet the "unprecedented threat", he said the government has decided to set up a National Investigation Agency, decentralise NSG, form more commando units, strengthen coastal security by making the Coast Guard the sole force responsible for it and step up air surveillance.
    
"I apologise to the people of the country that this dastardly act could not be prevented," he said referring to the Mumbai strikes and acknowledged that acts of terrorism have witnessed an increase resulting in death of hundreds of citizens.
    
Observing that the "epicentre of terrorism" is located in Pakistan, he underlined that the terror infrastructure in the neighbouring country must be dismantled and India cannot be "satisfied with mere assurances."
    
Singh said India has so far exercised "utmost restraint" but it should "not be misconstrued as a sign of our weakness".