The Hindu : National : `Special law needed to curb terror'

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Wednesday, Oct 18, 2006
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`Special law needed to curb terror'

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday reiterated that a special law like the Prevention of Terrorism Act — repealed by the UPA Government — was needed to deal with terrorist crimes. Without that, the police would not be able to get convictions. It pointed out that cases related to the July 11 Mumbai train blasts were registered under MACOCA, the special law for organised crime in Maharashtra, which admits confessions made to police as evidence.

Party general secretary Arun Jaitley was reacting to news reports that a committee of secretaries of the Government had suggested a law that would help it declare a war on terrorism. Even as it repealed POTA, the UPA Government amended the Unlawful Activities Act "to include most of the special provisions in POTA," Mr. Jaitley said. Only two major provisions of POTA were not included — one related to the more difficult bail provisions and the other to admissibility of confessions to police (with certain safeguards) as evidence.

Mr. Jaitley said the convictions being handed down in the 1993 Mumbai blast cases were the result of TADA. Successful convictions would have been difficult under the so-called normal laws.

"Let there be a national debate on this. Let not dealing with terror be mixed up with vote bank politics," he added.

On the corruption charge levelled by the CBI against Janata Dal (United) leader George Fernandes, Mr. Jaitley cited a statement by Naval chief Admiral Arun Prakash saying the Barak missile system purchased from Israel was needed by the Navy and it was satisfactory.

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