POTA out, terror back in Delhi

When former Commissioner of Police RS Gupta relinquished office on February 1, 2004, he said with pride, "I have had an incident-free tenure." Indeed, Gupta had managed to keep Delhi free of terrorist strikes. Creditable, given the fact that years before him, the Capital had witnessed incidents like attacks on Red Fort and Parliament House.

Gupta's tenure coincided with strengthening of anti-terror operations, both strategically and legislatively. Imposition of strong anti-terror laws, first MCOCA and then POTA ensured speedy trial of terror cases.

But such terror-free days were not to remain. The change of guard at the Centre in the summer of 2004 coincided with the return of terror in the Capital.

Delhi Police could not have fallen in bad days all of a sudden. Steps like repealing of the anti-terror Acts, persecution of terror-buster cops and total failure of coordination between the Intelligence agencies and the cops in the field resulted in the big bang outside Liberty and Satyam cinema halls. Terror had returned to the Capital.

It goes to the credit of the Delhi Police that it has, on most occasions, managed to neutralise the modules trying to terrorise the Capital. But then, policing alone cannot be the guarantee against such attacks. The Government must show the will to fight terror. Here is a quick recount of the terror incidents in the Capital in the last two years, which more than reflect the gunpowder-keg on which the Capital is sitting.