Congress responsible for inaction in Afzal Guru case: Advani

Jabalpur, Feb 6 : Leader of Opposition L K Advani on Wednesday criticised the Congress-led UPA Government for not putting Afzal Guru - the main convict in the Parliament attack case - to gallows.

Addressing a rally in Jabalpur as part of his Sankalp yatra despite terror threats to his life, Advani said: "Six years after the attack on the Indian Parliament, justice is yet to be done. The apex court of the country had awarded a death sentence to Afzal Guru, but he is yet to be hanged."

"The Congress Government at the Centre will be held accountable for its inaction in the Afzal Guru case", he added.

Advani demanded urgent explanation from Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, as to why his government was not implementing the orders of the Supreme Court.

He urged the UPA Government to respect the apex court's verdict, and added that it will give a moral boost to the kith and kin of all the martyrs who laid their life while protecting the Parliament.

Advani assured the gathering that his party will resolve ongoing border disputes with neighbouring states like China and Pakistan.

Commenting on cross border terrorism and naxal violence, he lashed out at the Congress leadership for not dealing strongly with the issue.

Advani said that Jihadi terrorism and Maoist violence are biggest threats to the country.

He asked the Congress-led UPA Government to explain what steps have been taken to stop infiltrators from Bangladesh.

Stressing that the BJP will adopt a zero tolerance policy in dealing with terrorism, Advani blamed the Congress party for reducing the country's image to that of a soft state.

He called upon the Congress-led ruling coalition to introduce stringent laws to deal with terrorism, while indicting it for not having a clear policy to fight terrorism in the country.

Earlier, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan met Advani on Tuesday and asked him to cancel his planned rallies across India due to security threats. The BJP then cut short his programme to three rallies.

Advani was to address 13 rallies in 12 states. It changed after Narayanan met Advani and told him that in January arrested Huji militants confessed targeting him.

Intelligence intercepts from LoC say that Advani could be the target of five terror modules.

Last month, intelligence agencies had warned BJP President Rajnath Singh that he is being targeted by Pakistan-based terrorists, which led the Centre to ask the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Government in Uttar Pradesh to beef up his security.

Both Advani and Singh have Special Protection Group and Z-plus security with National Security Guard cover.

The BJP has maintained that the UPA Government at the Centre does not having a clear policy to fight terrorism in the country.

The party has repeatedly called on the Congress-led ruling coalition to introduce stringent laws to deal with terrorism.

ANI