The three terms of the NDA government have seen the authorities keeping a close watch against terrorist activities and Left Wing Extremist offensives. Along the same lines, the security apparatus deserves praise for the timely detection of a suspected plot against the Prime Minister at the venue of an event he addressed on Tuesday. The preceding day, two persons moving suspiciously around the venue were detained and searched, only to find that one was carrying a fake identity card as a "PMO official" and the other his "bodyguard" hiding a gun in his overalls. Investigations would confirm whether there indeed was a plot on the PM himself.
India has a tragic history of top leaders having been assassinated while holding office or out of office. The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, fell to the bullets of a Hindu fundamentalist while holding prayers in the national capital within months of India's Independence. What obviously angered the assassin or his group was the Mahatma's consent for partition and nod for grant of strong financial support to the newly formed Pakistan. Indira Gandhi was slain at the PM's official residence by her Sikh security guards, allegedly at the behest of Pakistan's ISI in the aftermath of the Operation Blue Star. Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded her as PM, was slain while he was out of office and campaigning in Tamil Nadu for a parliament poll. All these despite the high security surrounding them wherever they went - at a scale higher than the security accorded to top national figures in several other countries. With such grim experiences in the past, the security for the PM and the President has been escalated to higher levels. Full alert is what can thwart any mischievous attempts.
Forces within the country and outside are likely to be targeting top political figures even now. The Islamic fundamentalism aided and abetted by Pakistan is on one side. The Khalistan force is still active abroad. The Naxalites/ Maoists are apparently down and out, yet they carry significant firepower by virtue of their training and shadowy connections. Separatists in Kashmir and the North-East are generally under strict surveillance but could cause trouble anytime. These apart, unknown forces could be at work within the country or abroad to create chaotic conditions here. How someone not connected with the PMO moved around with a fake ID at the venue of the PM's meeting - and with a so-called 'bodyguard' carrying a gun - needs to be thoroughly investigated. India cannot afford to cut a sorry figure again. Notably, there had been lapses in security, as in the Pahalgam massacres, where no security personnel were around to defend the hapless tourists in the vulnerable Kashmir Valley. As a result, many precious lives were lost and a brief war unfolded between India and Pakistan, with much loss of military resources on both sides. When it comes to security, there can be no lapses and no excuses should be tolerated.