By Sharat Pradhan,

Nainital, Sep 24 (IANS) There is need to ensure that anti-terrorist measures do not create a sense of insecurity among the Muslims, both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi stressed Saturday while expressing deep anguish and concern over continued terrorist strikes in the country.

Addressing a two-day convention of chief ministers of 14 Congress-ruled states here, the prime minister stressed on the need for measures to instil confidence among the Muslims.

He said there was urgent need to "augment the number of personnel from the minority community in the police forces as well as intelligence agencies". He also urged upon the necessity to re-deploy capable officers belonging to minority community in sensitive positions. Such a step, he said, would help in confidence building among members of these communities.

Gandhi said that police action should "sensitise and mobilise local communities and tough police action should not lead to polarisation".

"While there can be no compromise on internal security, we must make sure that no community feels it is under siege or as automatic targets of suspicion," she said.

Gandhi urged chief ministers to upgrade the intelligence machinery with "diligence and urgency". She said the "central government should also enable each state to have a fully equipped, properly trained and highly motivated anti-terrorism force".

While insisting on "clear identification and isolation" of "anti-social and anti-national elements", she cautioned that police action should be "free from social bias and political pressure in dealing with any communal situation".

Manmohan Singh emphasised that anti-terrorist measures should not alienate Muslims.

"An underlying sense of insecurity among sizeable sections of the Muslim minority is one reason for continued communal tensions." He attributed this to "erroneous linkage made by the West to treat the actions by a few, as typical of the community as a whole".

He called upon chief ministers to "take appropriate measures to dispel such misgivings".

"I think it reflects a great weakness of the law-enforcing mechanism when it lines up the entire population of a locality for questioning," Manmohan Singh stated.

Commenting on "externally sponsored terrorism", the prime minister praised the improvements effected in the intelligence apparatus at the national level. He urged the chief ministers to tone up the intelligence machinery in their states and said there was need to generate intelligence inputs at the police station level by re-orienting the role of the beat constable.

"Officers must be asked to explain whether all sensitive towns were covered by the intelligence agencies. It is not sufficient to react and make public pronouncements and take placatory measures. The entire bureaucracy should be made accountable," he said.

Highlighting the need for states to set up well-equipped and properly trained special forces to deal with terrorism as well as insurgency, including Maoist violence, the prime minister said: "Chief ministers must ensure that the best officers in the field of development administration are posted in such districts."

"Currently these postings are considered punishment postings," he said.

"Chief ministers should personally monitor the problems of Naxalite (Maoist)-affected areas, including proper utilisation of the very large amounts of money provided for development programmes in these areas."

The Maoist penetration among the industrial and agriculture workers as well as students could be tackled more effectively through political means, rather than by the police, he said.

Earlier, Gandhi said: "I am convinced that if we are able to ensure that the benefits of development projects are visible and reach the people, we can weaken the hold of militant groups."

Emphasising that effective internal security was not possible without effective "border management", the Congress president stated, "Our borders will not be allowed to be used as corridors for free movement of terrorists".