POTA repealed to quench Pak and terrorists- Rajnath

Patna, Apr 15: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Rajnatha Singh today castigated the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of Centre saying that it was 'shameful' that the Centre repealed POTA to fulfill the demands of the then Pakistan Foreign Minister and the terrorists as well.

Expressing concern over the growing terrorism in the country, Mr Singh told newspersons here that the weak policies of the UPA governmenmt were responsible for it. He said the UPA government abruptly repealed POTA without evolving any strong alternative law against terrorism. He said the then Foreign Minister of Pakistan had demanded to repeal POTA and the terrorists too had same opinion.

According to Mr Singh, the sudden step of UPA government regarding POTA gave a message among the terrorists that the centre was getting soft towards them.

He condemned yesterday's attack in Jammu and Kashmir and near Jama Masjid in New Delhi and said the attack on Jama Masjid should not be viewed as a retaliatory action against the recent attacks in Varanasi. Only those who had given reservations on religion basis were co-relating such acts with a particular religion, he pleaded.

To another query he said it was a unanimous decision to release terrorists for the safety of 250 passengers in Kandhar episode.

He termed terrorism as 'cancer' and said the disease needed to be treated through radiotherapy and chemotherapy despite having its side effects.

UNI