BJP for 'joint military operation' to dismantle Pak. terror camps

Kochi, Jan 13 (UNI) BJP President Rajnath Singh today exhorted the UPA Government to take the lead in forging international cooperation to launch a ''joint military operation'' to dismantle terrorist training camps in Pakistan.

Addressing a meeting of the party's Kerala state council here, Mr Rajnath Singh said the BJP had been cautioning the government about the worsening security situation in India's neighbourhood but the government did nothing about it.

The recent assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had proven right the BJP's warnings about the terrorist training camps in Pakistan and in Bangladesh, he said.

Stating that India could not remain immune from the ''anarchic'' situation in its neighbourhood, the BJP chief exhorted the UPA government to take the lead in forging international cooperation to dismantle the terrorist training camps in Pakistan.

Declaring that the situation in India's neighbourhood was volatile, be it in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka or Afghanistan, he called upon the government to take all political parties into confidence and re-think its policies towards the neighbouring countries.

''The UPA government seems to have turned a blind eye to the worsening situation in these countries and has been sitting hand on hand. India cannot remain unaffected by the developments in these countries and the government should take the lead in shaping an effective policy towards the neighbouring countries,'' he added.

Speaking of a ''deepening internal security crisis'' as well, Mr Rajnath Singh claimed that the UPA Government, ''pandering to votebank politics'', had repealed the Prevention of Terrorist Activities (POTA) Act without putting in place an alternative law.

This had resulted in increased terrorist attacks in the country, he said.

Stating that a stringent act was needed to deal with terrorist groups, he said the security forces should be given a free hand to crush the terrorist groups.

Admitting that terrorist attacks had taken place during the NDA regime also, be it on Parliament or the Akshardham and Raghunath temples, he however said as the morale of the security forces was high during that time, they had hunted down and eliminated those involved in these attacks.

UNI ARC DK1355