Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] on Monday directed the Cabinet Secretary to look into a demand made by Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar [Images] that bureaucrats and intelligence officials should be held accountable for any lapse leading to terror attacks.

The demand was raised in the Union Cabinet by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar who said it is politicians who have to bear the brunt whenever any incident like Mumbai attacks takes place, sources said.

The NCP leader asked since the entire responsibility of security lies with the security agencies and intelligence agencies like Research and Analysis Wing, Inteligence Bureau and others in the bureaucracy, what should be done to them when a terror incident takes place, the sources said, adding that the NCP leader wanted the issue to be taken seriously.

The sources said the PM directed Cabinet ecretary K M Chandrashekhar to look into the matter.

In the wake of Mumbai attacks, a number of political leaders were forced to resign from their posts. These included Shivraj Patil [Images], who had to quit as Union Home Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh [Images], who had to step down as chief minister and R R Patil, who had to resign as Maharashtra deputy chief minister.