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Minister of State for Home Affairs I D Swami condemned the firing by militants at the Jammu railway station on Tuesday evening in which ten persons were killed and more then 30 injured.
"This is a unfortunate incident. It seems that the militants are now getting desperate. The incident clearly shows that they want to spread terror amongst the people," Swami told rediff.com.
He refused to discuss the details of the report that he submitted to Union Home Minister L K Advani on Tuesday afternoon after his return from a tour of Doda district where militants had gunned down 15 villagers last Saturday.
He warned that the government would not allow terrorists to succeed in their designs and would put down terrorism with a firm hand.
"Barring the six months when Prime Minister A B Vajpayee had announced an unilateral ceasefire, the Government of India has adopted a pro-active policy towards combating cross-border terrorism," he said.
When asked how the militants had managed to strike in Doda despite the presence of village defence committees in the entire state and the presence of para-military forces, Swami said that the victims were shepherds, who were grazing their cattle in meadows in the higher reaches of the mountains.
The shepherds had set up dwellings in these remote places and they were not easily accessible except by a few hours walk, the minister explained.
These are soft targets for militants, he said.
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