Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said conviction of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab proved that the present laws were adequate to deal with the menace of terror. However, the government was open to “revisit” the laws if necessary.
Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the functioning of his Ministry, Mr. Chidambaram said Kasab's conviction was not on the basis of his confession but evidence.
The amended Unlawful Activities (Preventions) Act (UAPA) proved adequate for the prosecution and there was no need for separate provisions, as suggested by the BJP. “For the present, laws are adequate. They have broad support of all sections...Let's try these acts. If necessary, we can always revisit them.”
Mr. Chidamabaram said while he respected the BJP's views, a large section of society, particularly minorities and SCs/STs, rejected these ideas as they feared their misuse against them.
Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said though Kasab's conviction was a landmark event, he was disappointed because there were several other accused in the case living in Pakistan and the U.S., from where not much cooperation was forthcoming.
