Govt to acquire sophisticated weapons to curb terrorism:APCM

Hyderabad, Aug 27 (UNI) In the wake of saturday's twin blasts which claimed more than 40 lives, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today announced that the government would provide 'sophisticated weapons' to the police to curb the 'increasing' terrorist activities in the state.

Participating in a programme on 'anti-terrorism', organised by the state Youth Congress here, Dr Reddy said the government would take stringent steps to root out the terrorist organisations.

Calling on people to maintain peace and extend support to the government to curb the activities of terrorists, he said the government would take all steps to provide logistical support to the police.

Deferring with the BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's demand for revival of POTA Act, Union Minister for Urban Development S Jaipal Reddy said the Act would not curb violence. Centre would take stringent action and steps to prevent such bomb blasts in future, he added.

Mr Jaipal said terrorists had also attacked Parliament when the POTA Act was in force during the NDA regime.

Later the Youth Congress(YC) took out a peace rally from Ravindra Bharathi to Lumbini Park, where the explosion took place, in which the YC President Ashok Tanwar and state Congress President K Keshava Rao, were among others, who participated.

Meanwhile, the NSUI, student wing of the Congress, organised all religion prayers at Lumbini Park and paid tributes to the victims of twin bomb blasts.

UNI