Bullet for bullet can counter terrorism: AIATF chief

Ahmedabad, Jul 29 (UNI) All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) chairman Maninandersingh Bitta today asserted that bullet for bullet policy should be applied against terrorists to counter their activities.

''When two decades of terrorism was put to an end in Punjab in less than a couple of years, why shouldn't it be done all across the nation?'' he asked, while addressing mediapersons here.

Mr Bitta decried the ''vote bank politics'' of the political parties, saying that every political party was involved in vote bank politics and was not ready to take any tough decisions that would contain the terrorists.

He demanded that an ''Anti-Terrorist Military Court'' be constituted for the speedy and effective trial of terrorists. Any judgement given by the Supreme Court should not be referred to the President of India for clemency.

Praising people of Gujarat for showing exemplary bravery in the time of terror attacks, he said ''In my 28 years of fight against terror, I have not seen people like of Surat who, without fearing explosions, are helping police to locate bombs.'' Mr Bitta alleged that the Central intelligence agencies have been politicised and have become a stooge of political powers. These intelligence agencies should be directly under the supervision of the President and Prime Minister, he said.

He said in Gujarat, all political parties should unite and stand by Chief Minister Narendra Modi in his efforts to counter terrorism.

Political rivalry should not come in the way of fight against terror. ''How long we, the politicians, play politics on the bodies of innocent people? What will be the fate of the nation if the decision can not be taken against terrorists, like Afzal Guru, just for the sake of votes? Not only the terrorists but also the politicians pampering these elements should be tried under the anti-terrorist military court,'' he added.

UNI HT SSS SK KP2246