The Hindu : Front Page : Advani demands revival of POTA

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Monday, Aug 27, 2007
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Advani demands revival of POTA

Special Correspondent

Hits out at the UPA Government for repealing the law against terrorism

Call to adopt zero tolerance towards terrorism
Don’t see terrorism as majority-minority issue: Leader of Opposition

HYDERABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani on Sunday demanded revival of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and urged the Centre and the States to adopt “zero tolerance” towards terrorism.

Addressing a press conference here after calling on the injured in various hospitals and visiting the Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat centre, the sites of Saturday’s bomb blasts, Mr. Advani hit out at the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government for repealing POTA soon after assuming office.

The message conveyed to terrorists was that the government could be taken lightly, unlike in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, which, he claimed, adopted an attitude of zero tolerance.

UN resolution

He recalled that the NDA regime had enacted POTA after studying the laws in the U.K., the U.S. and Europe, as also the safeguards suggested by the Supreme Court. The UN Security Council had passed a resolution urging all countries to frame special laws to deal with the menace of terrorism.

Referring to the twin blasts, he expressed concern that Hyderabad along with Mumbai had become a major target for “these peddlers of evil and death.”

“Dangerous cult”

Mr. Advani advised the Central and the State governments not to view terrorism as a majority-minority issue. “Minorityism” was a “dangerous cult” and developed simply for the sake of “vote-banks”. It jeopardised the country’s security, he said.

He demanded that the Centre and the State furnish details of terrorist attacks during the past three years and the arrests made.

On intelligence failure

The BJP leader declined to comment on whether there was intelligence failure in Hyderabad as he had no specific information.

On the comment of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy that Bangladeshis and Pakistanis were behind the incidents, he said it was for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reply.

He was surprised by Dr. Singh’s comment within a few weeks of the Mumbai incidents that Pakistan itself was a victim of terrorism.

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