(Top) Patil, Chidambaram: Time for a change?

New Delhi, Nov. 28: More and more Congress leaders want Shivraj Patil held accountable for the Mumbai terror attacks and be replaced as Union home minister with P. Chidambaram or Pranab Mukherjee.

Calls for Patil’s head have arisen after almost every security crisis but this time, with his performance expected to impact the Congress’s poll fortunes, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh could face strong pressure to sack him, party sources said.

They added that the workload of national security adviser M.K. Narayanan, too, could come under the scanner, since many believe he is overburdened looking after internal security as well as foreign policy matters.

Patil has been criticised within and outside the party over his handling of the terrorist and Maoist threats, the Amarnath row and the recent attacks on Christians. He became the butt of ridicule after three public appearances in three sets of clothes within hours of the September 13 Delhi blasts.

A senior Congress leader said the home minister’s inefficiency was hurting the UPA government’s image. “It is strange that while India has reached the moon and there is so much good work all around, we seem to be faltering in matters such as saving a child who has fallen into a borewell,” he said.

Another leader said Patil’s ministry had failed to meet contemporary security challenges. “London has thousands of closed-circuit TV cameras but how many does Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore or Chandigarh have?” he said, alleging the home ministry seemed uninterested in technological upgrades.

A cabinet minister confessed he was baffled why each time a security crisis developed, the elite National Security Guard (NSG) had to be despatched from Delhi.

“Why can’t we have regional NSG centres so the guards can reach the spot in half an hour?” he asked, adding he knew of dozens of such proposals that were gathering dust.

Sources said a home minister was second only to the Prime Minister as the public face of the government, but Patil’s performance and body language did not measure up to the prestige of his office.

Recent cabinet meetings have seen colleagues repeatedly interrupt the home minister during crisis briefings. Yesterday, Patil left other ministers dissatisfied with what they privately said was a “sketchy” briefing, during which he apparently couldn’t name the attack sites.

Most Congress MPs and officials want Chidambaram or Mukherjee as home minister.

The finance minister’s grasp of law, analytical mind and clarity of speech, as well as his stint as junior minister for internal security, make him the favourite. Some party leaders argue the finance ministry doesn’t need him -- it’s “safe” enough under the supervision of the Prime Minister and plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Many wonder why Mukherjee hasn’t been considered for the home portfolio in spite of his experience and political skills, and the esteem in which he is held by the Prime Minister and Sonia.

All eyes are now on the Assembly poll results, to be out on December 8. A poor showing by the Congress could lead to a cabinet shuffle.