BANGALORE: Thursday's attempted attack by terrorists on the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur is only the latest in the long line of such incidents that have rocked the nation, indicating the failure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in tackling terrorism, according to the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Demanding the immediate enactment of a Prevention of Terrorism Act-type of law to curb terrorist attacks, Mr. Naidu told presspersons here on Thursday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) planned to launch a nationwide satyagraha from June 7 to 15. It would begin from various points across the country and end in Jammu. The BJP's three demands for which it was undertaking the satyagraha were to strengthen the Army in Jammu and Kashmir, particular in the sensitive and vulnerable areas, an end to "ethnic cleansing" in Jammu and Kashmir and to strengthen village defence committees in that State by giving them modern weapons to fend off terrorist attacks.

Mr. Naidu, who was here to see the party through the elections to the Legislative Council, said it was pathetic that during its two years in office, the UPA Government had allowed terrorists and militants to create lawlessness in the country, even while they targeted "nationalist forces."

Office of Profit Bill

He said President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's action in returning the Bill on Office of Profit to Parliament was a "slap in the face of the UPA." The UPA had to come up with a law that applied to all the States and Union Territories uniformly. Mr. Naidu said the implications of the Bill on the petitions pending before the Election Commission should be studied.

He said the Congress and the Left parties were both subverting the law and Article 102 of the Constitution, in particular, which ensured the independence of MPs so that the executive would be accountable to them. The UPA must understand the Supreme Court's views on the matter and redefine "office of profit," instead of which the Congress was "playing dirty tricks," he said.

`Act on petitions'

The Election Commission was duty bound to take immediate action on the pending petitions, and any delay would only give scope for misunderstanding and send the wrong signal, he said.

The BJP National Executive Committee, which met earlier this week, had decided to launch a nationwide protest in case fuel prices were increased. The agitation would begin the day after the announcement of a rise in prices, he added.

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