New Delhi:
Vice President Hamid Ansari has added a new twist to the ongoing security debate in the country. At a lecture on Tuesday, he said that intelligence agencies must have political oversight.
And listening to his views was beleaguered outgoing National Security Advisor (NSA) M K Narayanan.
The Vice President suggested that intelligence agencies like the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) must have political oversight, especially as they have tremendous financial and operation clout that is largely unaccountable.
"A parliamentary standing committee on Home could be a way out," he said.
Narayanan has been eased out as the NSA. Many see this statement as a vindication of Home Minister P Chidambaram's plan to have all counter-terrorism agencies under one body.
P Chidambaram had told NDTV that this is critical, and the NSA can continue with his other responsibilities.
"The NSA still has a lot of work. It advises the Prime Minister on very many issues aside from terrorism, like civil nuclear agreements, border issues and others. And the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) should converge under National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Agencies dealing with terrorism must be under NCTC," he said.
But the shake up of India's security bosses could have further repercussions. Former NSA Brajesh Mishra has suggested that India does not need an NSA.
"We have parliamentary system of government. Now you have an NSA who has immense powers but has no responsibility to Parliament. That can't be done in a parliamentary democracy. So what I want to say is that either we don't have the National Security Council System (NSCS), or if we want to have it we must have a minister in charge of national security who is responsible to Parliament," Mishra said.
These views fit in perfectly with Home Minister's plans for a total revamp of India's internal security system and make it accountable. How soon that will happen is, however, anybody's guess.
And listening to his views was beleaguered outgoing National Security Advisor (NSA) M K Narayanan.
The Vice President suggested that intelligence agencies like the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) must have political oversight, especially as they have tremendous financial and operation clout that is largely unaccountable.
"A parliamentary standing committee on Home could be a way out," he said.
Narayanan has been eased out as the NSA. Many see this statement as a vindication of Home Minister P Chidambaram's plan to have all counter-terrorism agencies under one body.
P Chidambaram had told NDTV that this is critical, and the NSA can continue with his other responsibilities.
"The NSA still has a lot of work. It advises the Prime Minister on very many issues aside from terrorism, like civil nuclear agreements, border issues and others. And the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) should converge under National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Agencies dealing with terrorism must be under NCTC," he said.
But the shake up of India's security bosses could have further repercussions. Former NSA Brajesh Mishra has suggested that India does not need an NSA.
"We have parliamentary system of government. Now you have an NSA who has immense powers but has no responsibility to Parliament. That can't be done in a parliamentary democracy. So what I want to say is that either we don't have the National Security Council System (NSCS), or if we want to have it we must have a minister in charge of national security who is responsible to Parliament," Mishra said.
These views fit in perfectly with Home Minister's plans for a total revamp of India's internal security system and make it accountable. How soon that will happen is, however, anybody's guess.
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