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UPA not concerned about victims of terror: Modi

Staff Reporter

Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday criticised the United Progressive Alliance government’s approach to terrorism.

He was addressing an anti-terrorism rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party at Ajmal Khan Park here.

Mr. Modi said the Centre’s approach was nothing but a “tamasha” (staged show). “They are not concerned about innocent people dying but are more concerned about innocents getting caught.” This was the reason why they were not allowing a stronger law to fight terror, he charged.

Pointing out that “vote bank politics will continue to feed terrorism and it is time to bring an end to such politics,” he said the Gujarat experience had shown that the war against terrorism could be won. Gujarat atank ke aage mujra nahin karega (Gujarat will not dance before terrorism), he said.

Mr. Modi said he did not believe in giving messages to terrorists. He took action: Main eent ka jawaab pathar se deta hoon (I reply to a brick with a stone).

In Gujarat, he said, he would soon be starting two universities, one imparting education on security and the other focussing on forensic science. “We are ready for a long battle against terrorism,” he said.

Mr. Modi ridiculed the argument against POTA that acts of terror had not stopped while it was in place. “Section 302 [IPC] deals with punishment for murder and yet murders take place; so will they remove the section. Likewise, there is punishment for people travelling ticketless by train. I ask Railway Minister Lalu Prasad if he would do away with it as some people still travel without tickets.”

Pointing out that POTA had helped in conviction of terrorists involved in the Parliament and Akshardham Mandir attack cases, he said it was time to act unitedly against terrorists.

He wondered why, when even Islamic countries Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia, had enacted special laws, the Congress was “going soft on terror.”

“I warned against attacks”

Mr. Modi claimed he had warned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil about the plans of terrorists to target Delhi after Gujarat. He charged that when the Gujarat police went to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh to catch one of the accused in the blasts that had rocked the State, “vote-bank leaders” reached the house of the accused to lend support.

BJP president Rajnath Singh said India was faced with an explosive situation. A nation could not be strong and rich until it took good decisions. People, he said, wanted India to be rich and powerful and were “waiting for Mr. Advani to become Prime Minister so that terrorism in the country can be wiped out.”

Mr. Advani said that as a show of strength everyone should send a letter to the President of India with three demands for the Central government — approve the anti-terror legislation forwarded by Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh; hang the Parliament attack case accused Afzal Guru, and enact strong legislation to curb terror.

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