Moily lays emphasis on importance of counter-terrorism measures

‘Non-cooperation by Chief Ministers scuttled Centre’s move’

Union minister for Petrolium and Natural Gas, M.Veerappa Moily, addressing at press conference at B.C.Road, B.Ramanath Rai, Congrace candidate of Bantwal, are also seen. in Mangalore on Thursday. Photo: H.S.Manjunath

While condemning the bomb blast in front of the BJP office in Bangalore on Wednesday, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas M. Veerappa Moily has cautioned against the politicisation of the issue.

Talking to presspersons here on Thursday on the sidelines of his campaign for Congress candidate B. Ramanath Rai in Bantwal constituency, Mr. Moily said that the issue “should not be used by anyone for political gains”.

Federal laws

Mr. Moily emphasised the importance of the Union government’s counter-terrorism measures proposed after the Hyderabad blasts on February 21 — especially laws to make terrorism a federal crime whose prevention, detection and handling needed to be done by the Union government.

“This was scuttled due to the non-cooperation of Chief Ministers. The States just cannot handle terrorism cases,” he said.

He said that there should be a refrain from labelling those behind the blasts as being from a particular religion. “The blasts in Malegaon and on the Samjhauta Express have shown us that terrorists cannot be classified as being from one religion. Terrorism is a ‘different religion’ by itself,” he said.