Demanding the re-enactment of Prevention of Terrorism Act to check a surge in terrorism, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Sunday asked the Centre to secure support during the G-8 summit for India's war on terror and to exert pressure on Pakistan to prevent terrorist activities from its soil.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should try to secure maximum possible support at the G-8 summit for India's war on terror," Advani said while addressing an anti-terrorism rally in Bhopal.
Later, BJP leaders submited a memorandum to the President through Governor Balram Jakhar, condemning the recent Mumbai blasts.
"The world community must exert pressure on Pakistan to fulfill its commitment of not allowing any anti-India terrorist activity from its soil made during the signing of the joint agreement with India in January 2004," Advani said.
Accusing Pakistan of failing to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, he claimed to have told its President Pervez Musharraf last year that unless this is done, there cannot be real progress in normalisation ties between the two countries.
"Pakistan cannot ignore the US or the UK. But it can take lightly the UPA government -- troubled by its allies like the Left threatening to bring it down," he claimed, asking Dr Singh to let the people decide about UPA's fate if he feels that he cannot deal with terrorism and secure the common man.
Accusing the government of behaving in a manner as if terrorism did not exist though it had claimed over 60,000 lives till date, Advani said, "The first thing it did was to scrap the Prevention of Terrorism Act. We demand it to be re-enacted."
Lauding the Centre's move to cancel foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan, Advani said the BJP will back it in making 'any right move' in dealing with terrorism.
Terming as 'ludicrous' reported comments of a Union minister on the National Security Advisor's warning following the Mumbai blasts, he said, "When members of the government itself try to trivialise such an ominous threat, it only highlights the present establishment's serious incapacity to combat terrorism."
Elaborating on the National Democratic Alliance government's achievements in curbing terrorism and laying the ground for the extradition of underworld don Abu Salem, Advani asked the Centre to continue to press for the extradition of Dawood Ibrahim.
In their memorandum addressed to the President, the BJP leaders accused the government of taking lightly the increase in terrorism and indulging in vote bank politics, besides repealing POTA 'under the garb of protecting secularism.'
"The United Progressive Alliance government has failed to make any declaration on extending the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India, which is a prime example of vote bank politics and politics of appeasement," they alleged, accusing the Centre of failing to secure the country's borders and protect the common man.
"The UPA should either govern by choosing between the country and politics of appeasement, or relinquish power," they said.
Earlier, speaking to reporters at the airport, Advani said the nature of the attacks in Mumbai last week should make people realise that the July 7 attack was aimed against India just as the 9/11 attacks were deemed to be on the entire US.
© 2024 Rediff.com -