Maha session may be curtailed in view of threat perception

The ongoing budget session of Maharashtra Legislature may be cut short due to threat perception amid rising Indo-Pak tensions, sources said Wednesday. Theissue was discussed at a meeting convened by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnaviswith opposition leaders and senior police officials in view of possible security threat to Mumbai, the sources said.

The session is scheduled to be a week-long affair. It began on February 25 and is scheduled to end on March 2 after a two-day debate on drought situation in the state. It was felt that the Vidhan Bhavan premises in south Mumbai, where key state political figures are gathered for the legislature session, could be an 'easy target, opposition leaders who attended the meeting said.

Maharashtra DGP Datta Padsalgikarand Mumbai police commissioner Subodh Jaiswal also attended the meeting. A formal decision on curtailing the session may be taken Thursday morning at an all-party meeting, the leaders said.

The appropriation bill may be passed Thursday before the session is curtailed. Minister of state for home Deepak Kesarkar told reporters that Mumbai is always on alert and there was no need for panic.

"For the security bandobast when legislature session is underway, about 5,000 police are on duty. Another 1500 personnel are on field to handle various protest marches during the session. In view of the Indo-Pak tensions, police force can be utilised elsewhere (in Mumbai) and hence the police requested that the session be curtailed," an official said. An IAF pilot is "missing in action" and a Pakistani fighter jet has been shot down, New Delhi said on Wednesday as fears of war darkened India-Pakistan relations with Islamabad launching retaliatory strikes and claiming it has arrested two Indian pilots in its territory..