Govt should take tough stand against terrorism: Acharya Dharmendra

Ahmedabad, Dec 6 (UNI) Criticising the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for ''delaying the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru,'' senior VHP leader Acharya Dharmendra today said the government should take a tough stand against terrorism.

There is a need to root out terrorism from the country so as to enable real development, he said while addressing a press conference here.

The Acharya said the country was facing one of the biggest threat, that from terrorism. Rulers of this country should take tough stand against terrorism, he added.

The government was providing protection to monuments in the country, but the people were at the mercy of terrorists, he ridiculed.

Acharya Dharmendra refused to answer a query as to why the state VHP, against the wishes of VHP chief Ashok Singhal, was not actively campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly elections. ''I am not a VHP officer-bearer, hence, I do not want to comment on this. But, I support Mr Singhal's stand on this issue,'' he said.

The Gujarat VHP has expressed unhappiness over Chief Minister Narendra Modi ''autocratic style of functioning'' and had signalled non-cooperation with the BJP in the upcoming polls.

Acharya Dharmendra said the five crore people of Gujarat would show ''who is a traitor and who a patriot'' in the coming assembly elections.

He further said he had come to Gujarat to fulfill a promise he had made to the family of a victim of the 2002 Sabarmati Express carnage -- a ''karsevak'' who was returning from Ayodhya but was burnt alive.

The karsevak, Harshadbhai Panchal's eldest daughter Komal was getting married today. Acharya Dharmendra said he had promised the family he would attend the marriages of the karsevak's daughters.

UNI