Shocked by the attacks in Mumbai, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday that the government would invoke the National Security Act, set up a Federal Investigation Agency and tighten the laws to deal with terrorism effectively.Addressing the nation in an extraordinary step, he said the terrorist group responsible for the carnage in Mumbai was "based outside the country" and promised to choke the infiltration lines and funds to ensure that such elements pay a "heavy price" for such "cowardly and horrific" acts.Talking tough, Singh said India will not tolerate the use of territories of its neighbours for launching attacks here and there would be a "cost" if suitable measures are not taken by them."It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with the single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country," he said referring to the Mumbai attacks.India will take up "strongly with our neighbours that the use of their territory for launching attacks on us will not be tolerated and that there would be a cost if suitable measures are not taken by them", Singh said.He asserted that "strongest possible measures" would be taken to deal with such elements, including the use of the National Security Act and setting up of a Federal Investigation Agency to prevent such incidents.While the National Security Act would be used to deal with situations of this kind, existing laws would be tightened to ensure that there were no loopholes available to terrorists to escape the clutches of the law, he said. "We are not prepared to countenance a situation in which the safety and security of our citizens can be violated with impunity by terrorists," the Prime Minister said. “It is essential to immediately set up a Federal Investigation Agency to go into terrorist crimes of this kind and ensure that the guilty are brought to book," he said.He said the government would take "a number of measures to strengthen the hands" of police and investigation authorities. "We will curb the flow of funds to suspect organisations. We will restrict the entry of suspects into the country," Singh said."We will go after these individuals and organisations and make sure that every perpetrator, organiser and supporter of terror, whatever his affiliation or religion may be, pays a heavy price for these cowardly and horrific acts against our people," he said.He said police reforms would be attended to in an urgent and serious manner "so that the law and order authorities can work united, effectively and in a determined manner to tackle such threats to national integrity."On Mumbai attacks, he said the "well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic by choosing high- profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners." Paying glowing tributes to the police officers and men who were killed in the attacks, he said "I salute the courage and patriotism of the police officers, including the Chief of the Anti-Terror Squad Hemant Karkare and men who have laid down their lives in fighting these terrorists." He appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony so that "the enemies of our country do not succeed in their nefarious designs."
