POTA not the answer to terrorism, says Cong

New Delhi,July 17 (UNI) Refuting the contention of the BJP that POTA is the answer to terrorism, the Congress today pointed out that several terrorists attacks were made during the NDA regime when the anti-terroris law was in force.

Congress Spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi told reporters here that Opposition Leader L K Advani had demanded the revival of POTA, as if the draconian law could efectively check terrorist activities and that such activities were on an increse because POTA was not in force.

He recalled that ever since March 28 2002, 40 serious incidents involving terrorists had takien place in various parts of the country. These included attacks on Amarnath Yatris, on the then Defence Minister, on Raghunath temple, on train in Mulund in Mumbai, on BSF in Baramula, on AIR in Srinagar. ''POTA was in force during all these attacks,'' he pointed out.

Stating that it was an illusion to believe that POTA was the answer to terrorism, Mr Chaturvedi asked Mr Advani to dispel this wrong impression from his mind.

'' The Government was determined to root out terrorism and would not yield to terrorism,'' he asserted.

Mr Chaturvedi recalled that the bus to Lahore was started at a time when terrorist actiovities were on. Even after the Kargil conflict had been fought, Pakistan President Musharraf had been invited to Agra for talks. "If the NDA did that it was right, but if the Congress carries forward the process of dialogue with Pakistan, then it amounts to surrendering before Pakistani -aided terrorists," he added.

The Congress Spokesman pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated categorically that dialogue would be carried forward if Gen Musharraf fulfilled the assurance in the January 6,2004 joint statement, that Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used for terrorist activities against India.

UNI YS VD HT1916