BJP demands stringent law to curb terrorism and vigil in LoC

Chennai, Jul 31 (UNI) Claiming that the BJP-ruled states were being targeted by acts of terrorism, party president Rajnath Singh today accused the UPA government of being ''inefficient'' in handling terrorist activities and demanded a stringent law to curb the menace by strengthening intelligence agencies and deploying well equipped special forces in the areas bordering Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Singh also charged the UPA with failing to control Pakistan's aggression at the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the BJP demands the Centre to step up security and vigilance in the areas bordering Pakistan.

The BJP leader said that during the erstwhile NDA rule, the country had used diplomatic skills and urged Pakistan to announce ceasefire with a commitment to end all the anti-India activities.

Alleging that the recent serial bomb blasts in Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad clearly showed that the life and property of common man was virtually at stake in UPA regime, Mr Singh also claimed that the US state department's annual report on terror for 2007 observed that India continued to rank among the world's most terror afflicted countries and terrorism had taken over 2,300 lives in 2007 alone.

The report also identified the UPA government's failure to curtail terrorist acts and the counter-terrorism efforts were hampered by outdated, overburdened legal system and law enforcement, he alleged.

He also charged that the Centre instead of making stringent anti-terror laws had repealed POTA, the only anti-terror law in the country which the erstwhile BJP-led government had introduced.

Mr Singh also claimed that ''some experts'' pointed out that a conspicuous pattern in serial blasts proved that terrorists had made the BJP ruled states were their main target.

''If the UPA government had approved the anti-terror laws adopted by the (BJP ruled) state assemblies in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the recent serial blasts could have been investigated quickly and the culprits brought to justice,'' he underlined.

UNI VV ATI PM1615