New Delhi (PTI): Congress on Thursday snubbed BJP for its attempts to raise the terror issue during the poll campaigns with Home Minister P Chidambaram bluntly telling the saffron party that unless communalism is vanquished, terrorism cannot be ended.

"It is important to vanquish communal agenda if you want to vanquish terror. A country divided on caste and communal lines cannot fight terror. Only Congress can fight terror," Mr. Chidambaram told reporters at the AICC headquarters here.

The Union Home Minister, whose monthly report card, was prevented from being released by the Election Commission, utilised the AICC briefing to drive home the point that the law and order was secure and the elections will be held peacefully.

Tearing into the BJP's strategy to raise communal issues for political gains, he said, "BJP cannot tackle terror. It's agenda is divisive. All actions will be coloured by religious bias. You will be soft on some people and you will be harsh on some."

Mr. Chidambaram was caustic in his criticism of the BJP and described as "shameful" its decision to field one of the alleged accused of the Kandhamal violence.

He dismissed as "silly" BJP's charge of the Centre being behind the detention of Varun Gandhi under NSA but steered clear of queries whether the action of Mayawati government was proper.