UPA regime incapable of tackling terrorism

Lonavla, Apr 10 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and senior BJP leader L K Advani today said the discordant UPA government was incapable of tackling terrorism and Dr Manmohan Singh was the ''weakest ever'' Prime Minister in post-independent India.

Addressing a rally here as part of Bharath Suraksha Yatra, Mr Advani said the UPA government exhibited no political will to end the terrorist menace as its first move after coming to power was to repeal POTA, a comprehensive law brought in by the NDA government to combat terrorism.

''I would have been happy if they were to repeal POTA following any complaint of its misuse, but this decision was to please its vote bank, he noted.

''The government is like a strange vehicle with Congress President Sonia Gandhi controlling the direction of the administration while the Prime Minister had the authority to accelerate the speed of programmes like airport modernisation but the Left Parties which are not part of the government are applying brakes,'' Mr Advani noted.

The country had seen 14 Prime Ministers in the past but none of them had problems in asserting their position, he noted.

''Dr Singh despite being a good and honest person had no authority. Under such circumstances, one was not sure how long the government would survive and have to be prepared to face elections anytime,'' he said.

The BJP wanted to pressurise the government to act against terrorism decisively and comprehensively and work in the national interest and not in the interest of furthering its vote bank politics, he added.

The party wanted no compromise with terrorism which had claimed 60,000 precious lives much more than the total number of lives lost in five wars, Mr Advani noted.

Referring to reconstruction of Somnath temple by the Jawaharlal Nehru Government under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, K M Munshi and N V Gadgil, Mr Advani said the government should take a cue from the past in building of Ram temple at Ayodhya. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi too had initiated certain decisive steps in this direction, he said.

Taking note of news reports suggesting a low turnout for the yatra, Mr Advani said these reports apart, he was sure the government was getting the right figures on the turnout.

UNI MCN MA HT1705