No need for alarm: Chidambaram on Hyderabad alert

A day after the Hyderabad Police sounded an alert in the city, Home minister P Chidambaram on Friday allayed apprehensions of a possible terrorist attack there.

"Let me assure everyone, these are inputs which come to us regularly which we share with the states. There is no need for any alarm that something imminent is happening in Hyderabad," Chidambaram said when asked about the decision of the Hyderabad police to sound an alert in the city on Thursday.

He said it was the decision of the Police Commissioner of Hyderabad. "The man there, the Commissioner of Police, is the best judge of the situation. If he wants to take any precautionary steps, of course he is welcome to do that," Chidambaram added.

The minister noted that "there is no need for any alarm that there is going to be an imminent terrorist attack".

Meanwhile, Chidambaram refused to comment on the issue of alleged purchase of sub-standard bullet-proof jackets for Mumbai police.

"I cannot comment on what happened in the past. But any bullet-proof vest that is acquired today is not of sub standard quality."

"These meet the qualitative requirements laid down by the police organisations and the Bureau of Police Research and Development...why should I comment on what happened in the past. Let's look forward to the future," he said.