ARC lack depth of terrorism issue: Jaitley

New Delhi, Sep 17 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and former law minister Arun Jaitley today described the Administrative Reform Commission's recommendation for a strong anti-terror law as merely an eyewash, saying that the commission had not gone into the 'depth' of the issue.

''To deal with terrorists, a punitive law is required but ARC has only recommended an anti-terror law to be of the National Security Act which only allows preventive arrest up to one year,'' the BJP General Secretary told newspersons here.

Mr Jaitley said that Commission Chairman Veerappa Moily had failed to understand the legal framework required to check the menace for which there should be a law for investigation and punishment.

''POTA or any such law could be a deterrant to terrorists but merely putting an anti-terror law under the NSA would not solve the purpose. NSA basically is a preventing measure, arresting somebody in anticipation of some crime or threat to the national integrity and sovereignty. The maximum limit for such arrests is only one year. How it could be a deterrant to terrorists?'' he asked.

''ARC is completely out of depth of the problem and has made a deceptive recommendation. An anti-terror law under NSA is too casual a suggestion to deal with terrorism,'' he said.

The former law minister, who is also a practicing lawyer of the Supreme Court, said the terrorist incidents in the past fews days had proved beyond 'doubts' that the Centre's soft attitude towards such elements was responsible for them.

The voice for a strong anti-terror law by some ministers and Congress leaders seemed to be more politically motivated rather than any serious consideration, he asserted.

Naming Railway Minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, he said the person who supported SIMI, was now criticising Home Minister and ascribing the serial bomb blasts to the failure of the intelligence network.

UNI KAS PK CS1744