Take parliament into confidence, says Advani

Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, Apr 22 : Senior BJP leader L K Advani today urged Prime minister Manmohan Singh to take Parliament into confidence on how his giovernment plans to deal with Naxalism.

Addressing a press conference here on the second day of his 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra' Mr Advani said Dr Singh himself had admitted that Naxalism was the biggest threat to India's internal security.

Stating that the Prime Minister for the first time had expressed the need for a ' unified command'' to tackle the menace, which is now spreading in several states from Nepal border to Karnataka.

He said he was surprised as to why the UPA government dismantled the unified and coordinated center-state strategy that the NDA government had evolved during its regime in 1999.

Mr Advani said he was also surprised that no spokesman of the government or the Congress party has so far explained how the Prime Minister's declaration of no compromise with Naxalism squared up with the policy of 'total compromise' adopted by Andhra Pradesh government two years ago.

Soft approach adopted by the Congress in Andhra Pradesh has strengthened the Naxalites and also given them respectability.

'' It is not hidden from anybody that the Congress adopted this soft approach purely for narrow electoral considerations in the 2004 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls.

Mr Advani urged the Center to follow up its decision taken at the chief ministers conference.

Replying to a question, the BJP leader did not favour state government's holding talks with the Naxalites saying any decision to deal with them must be taken jointly by the Centre and the states concerned.

UNI

Related Stories
Advani favours law on sting operations by media
Advani declines to comment on Khurana's charges