The Hindu : National : Pravin Togadia wants ban on madrassas and enactment of law stronger than POTA to fight terrorism

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Pravin Togadia wants ban on madrassas and enactment of law stronger than POTA to fight terrorism

Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD: Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Pravin Togadia has demanded a ban on madrassas and the enactment of a law “stronger than” the repealed Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) to fight terrorism.

Talking to journalists after a meeting of the Sant Marga Darshak Mandal here on Sunday, Mr. Togadia claimed that madrassas bred terrorism and must be banned immediately. The curriculum of the madrassas was the same in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

‘British pattern’

He said the police dealing with the “jehadis” should be given a free hand to deal with them. He wanted the Central government to follow the British pattern of enacting a special law which gave death penalty to anyone for professing, propagating and practicing “jehad.”

Describing the recent Ahmedabad bomb blasts as “shocking” and as a “war against the people of India” by the Islamic jehadis, Mr. Togadia said that if anyone was to be blamed for “encouraging” the jehadi movement in the country, it was the Indian government. Whether it was the BJP-led NDA government or the Congress-led UPA, the governments at the Centre had never shown the will to fight terrorism.

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