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Manmohan soft on terror: BJP

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Within hours of the blast in the Mehrauli area of the capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused the Prime Minister of being soft on terror for the sake of vote-bank politics.

Condemning the blast, BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy sought to draw attention to the irony that the blast took place even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was calling for a campaign against terrorism, at the United Nations General Assembly.

Expressing concern over the fact that the capital had come under terror attack for the second time in a month, Mr. Rudy said it was high time the government stopped debating and discussing terrorism, and began acting against it.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari said such “mindless and reprehensible acts of violence” were intended to disturb the peace and impede national progress. He appealed to all sections of society to maintain calm.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the government had taken a series of measures recently to beef up security in the capital. “Whatever more is required to be done will be done expeditiously. I condemn today’s [Saturday’s] blast and appeal to the people of Delhi to remain calm,” he said in a statement.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed deep shock and concern and said the blast should be condemned in the strongest terms.

Responding to the BJP demand, party spokesperson Manish Tewari said this was the time for the nation to be seen as one in the fight against terror. The principal party in the Opposition should stand up and send a strong signal that political parties were one in meeting this challenge rather than “play this game of oneupmanship.”

Communist Party of India national secretary D. Raja said the intelligence agencies should understand and counter the new methods being employed by the terrorists.

Campaign

The All-India Forward Bloc said it would organise a three-day nationwide campaign from Sunday against increasing terrorist activities across the country.

2 terrorists shot dead in Delhi

Indian Mujahideen men nabbed in Mumbai

Raids in Azamgarh for terror suspects

Receptionist identifies Saif

Saif identifies supply point in Manipal

Separate wing carried out blasts in South?

Delhi police team makes enquiries in Udupi

Bashir was also a Jamia student

Images: Encounter at Jamia Nagar

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