HM rules out POTA revival, assures help to states to tackle terror

Hyderabad, Aug 26 (UNI) Ruling out revival of 'Prevention of Terrorism Act' (POTA) as demanded by his predecessor L K Advani, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today assured states of all needed Central assistance to tackle terror in the country following the twin bomb blasts in the city which claimed the lives of least 43 people.

Talking to newspersons after a visit to the blast sites and injured in the hospitals, Mr Patil asked the states to rise to the occasion to fight terror, promising all central assistance to strengthen the police force, modernise equipment, communication, transportation and intelligence network.

Pointing out that even when POTA was in vogue such terrorist strikes, including attack on Parliament, had occurred, the Home Minister said it was not time to politicise the issue.

After Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy blamed the terrorists based in Bangladesh and Pakistan for bomb blasts, Mr Patil maintained that it was not the right time to talk on this when investigation was incomplete. Only at the time of filing of chargesheet it would be clear, he added.

Admitting that the police had bits of information about the terrorist strike, he said ''the country is so big that even if we have information we are unable to act in time as we do not know where and when it is going to happen.'' Asked whether the bomb blasts were a result of intelligence failure, he said ''let us not resort to blaming each other and demoralise the police force. If investigation says so then it is.

Let us concentrate on taking the required action.'' ''The first thing we have to do is to create a right ambience.

This is, however, not an easy job,'' he said.

In line with the Centre's policy, the state government had acted swiftly to provide relief measures and compensation to the affected families.

Earlier, Dr Reddy thanked UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for providing necessary logistic support to the state to control the situation arising out of the blasts.

UNI