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Advani assails `casual' handling of internal security

By Sushanta Talukdar

GUWAHATI, DEC. 11. The Bharatiya Janata Party president, L.K. Advani, today accused the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre of handling the country's internal security situation "casually" and being "indifferent" to the problem of "demographic invasion of illegal Bangladeshi migrants."

He hailed the Supreme Court decision to admit a public interest litigation petition seeking a CBI probe into the presence of the migrants. He urged the Government to give the court a comprehensive report on the actual dimension of the problem.

Biggest failure

At a press conference here, Mr. Advani said the "biggest failure" of the six-month-old UPA Government was on the internal security front. The country was facing terrorist threat in the west and the problems of illegal immigration from Bangladesh and a neighbouring country giving asylum to insurgent groups in the east.

The Centre had started negotiations with the naxalites and the People's War despite the groups continuing to hold arms and openly saying that they had links with the Maoist rebels of Nepal. "This indicates that this Government is not concerned with the internal security situation of the country. Such casual handling of the internal security situation can be extremely dangerous."

On the other hand, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government had adopted the principle of discussing the legitimate grievances of militant groups which were willing to abjure violence.

Mr. Advani criticised the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh's remark that the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 should be extended to the whole of the country. He said that during the tenure of the NDA Government, illegal Bangladeshi migrants were pushed back from the States where the Foreigners' Act was applicable. But, the IM(DT) Act made it impossible for any government to detect and deport illegal migrants.

The West Bengal Government, which did not initially cooperate with the NDA Government's efforts, later realised the gravity of the situation and became equally concerned. He had also addressed a joint press conference with the Chief Minister in Kolkata on the issue. Asked why the NDA Government did not take steps to seal the India-Bangladesh border to check illegal migration, Mr. Advani attributed it to geographical disadvantages as compared to frontiers along Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, addressing a workers' meet, Mr. Advani criticised the Centre for describing the problem of illegal migration as a human problem. "It is not a human problem. It is a problem related to the country's security, law and order and economy. People will not forgive the UPA Government for being indifferent to this grave problem."

The gravity of the problem was such that the country witnessed an anti-foreigners' movement in Assam. The former Governor, Lt.Gen. (retd.) S.K. Sinha, had submitted a report to the President highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

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Advani assails `casual' handling of internal security

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