Diplomatic to offensive: Govt checks armour

What form this will take, given the massive troop build-up on either side and the risk of opening several fronts, was still unclear.

What’s clear, however, is that the Government is confident of rallying support of all parties on the issue tomorrow before it lets Parliament know what its next step is.

One immediate step could be a reshuffle of troops to strengthen security in J&K. This was discussed at a meeting called by Home Minister L K Advani with Defence Minister George Fernandes, State Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and key military and intelligence officials this morning.

Advani is said to have acknowledged the necessity of ‘‘filling the vacuum’’ caused by shortage of security personnel in the state because of the deployment on the border since December 13. It was felt that this had effectively left several areas in the state vulnerable to attack of Pak-sponsored militants.

Advani told The Indian Express that although there was no move to augment security forces in Kashmir, he did not rule on their rapid re-deployment in the State. On specifics, he declined to comment. ‘‘We did not meet to take any decision. We only assessed the situation,’’ he said.

Fernandes, too, declined to comment on the meeting. Another crucial—and potentially controversial—upshot of the meeting was the decision to ‘‘continue operations against terrorists and action against their overground support base.’’

Home Ministry sources said this could be seen as a reference to security forces tightening the screws on ‘‘civilians found associated with militants in any way.’’ Civilians taking out processions with militants’ bodies is common in the Valley.

While Advani is expected to make a detailed statement in Parliament tomorrow, Home Ministry sources said the tone of today’s meeting was one of aggressiveness.

Farooq Abdullah, for one, who has always taken a let-strike-Pak-now stand, reiterated that there was a need to carry out retaliatory action for the Jammu massacre.

The Union Cabinet, it is learnt, will discuss the J&K scenario tomorrow though in the morning Prime Minister Vajpayee met External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, George and Advani.

After the meeting, Farooq said: ‘‘Pakistan will not stop the war it has unleashed on India.’’ On the brainstorming session, he said ‘‘all aspects’’ of the state’s security scenario had been discussed ‘‘in their entirety.’’

Minister of State for Home I D Swamy, among the participants, said that checking infiltration was topmost on the government’s agenda. ‘‘Sure, we canot bring down the infiltration to zero-level,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s not possible but certainly, we are capable of minimising it (so that) we have a permanent upper-hand over the militants.’’

The coming months pose a challenge to the heavily deployed paramiliatry groups, he said, because of the Amarnath Yatra, which is to start soon, and state elections not far away, two events in which security forces will actively participate.

Others who attended the meeting included Home Secretary Kamal Pandey, Director General of Military Operations (DGM0), Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) and the chiefs of BSF, CRPF and IB.

North Block remained abuzz with activity for better part of the day. United States Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill had a separate, 30-minute session with Advani, and though he declined to take any questions, the Ambassador read out a statement which he said ‘‘echoed’ the sentiments expressed by President George Bush and Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca on the Jammu strikes.

‘‘My own personal sympathies and prayers go out to the families of those who were killed or injured in the barbaric terrorist outrage,’’ Blackwill said.