Federal agency needed to tackle terrorism

Kochi, Jul 29: Charging the UPA Government with being soft on terrorism, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu today demanded that the Centre re-enact the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) and set up a federal agency to combat terrorism.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Naidu said though law and order was a state subject, state governments alone could not handle terrorist attacks as these were being orchestrated from across the border and had inter-state dimensions.

''The Centre should call a meeting of chief ministers to discuss the setting up of a federal agency to combat terrorism,'' he said.

He also criticised the UPA Government for linking the use of POTA with a particular community and demanded that the anti-terror law be re-enacted.

Mr Naidu also said the proposal of the previous NDA Government to issue identity cards to all citizens should be revived and other measures taken to protect the Indian borders from infiltration.

''Terrorism has no caste, no religion. But it is a fact that our enemies are using religion as a cover for their activities. It is also a fact that the people who are working and creating terror in India at the behest of the foreign masterminds are locals and are called as sleeper cells,'' he added.

Claiming that 100 terrorist attacks had taken place since the UPA came to power in 2004, Mr Naidu said mere words of condemnation and announcement of compensation for victims was not going to solve the problem.

''The e-mail sent in the name of Indian Mujahideen is a challenge to our sovereignty. We need to have a war plan to fight terrorism,'' he added.

UNI