Congress, Govt lost credibility because of Patil: Left

New Delhi, Nov 30 (UNI) Elated over the vindication of their long-standing demand for Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's resignation, the Left parties today asserted that he never matched up to the gigantic task of combating terrorism and communal violence, adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should have asked him to resign much earlier.

They also put the BJP in the dock for what they term its 'politicising and communalising' the issue of terrorism presenting a long list of terrorist attacks during its six-year-rule at the Centre.

Reacting to Mr Patil's quitting his respective office in the wake of Mumbai attacks, top Left leaders also demanded that not only the role of the state government be inquired into but the whole apparatus of the investigating agencies should be revamped and restructured.

On the political implications of Mr Patil's resignation, CPM senior leader Saleem Mohammed said the damage has already been done to both the Congress and the UPA goverment.

CPI veteran Gurudas Dasgupta said the Congress has lost its face because of him.

''With Mr Patil's resignation, the problem of terrorism is not going to be solved overnight but the administrators and all those responsible for maintaining the internal security of the country have to be responsive and answerable,'' Mr Mohammed Salim, party floor leader in the Lok Sabha said.

The Left leader maintained that the moment Mr Patil was picked up by the high command for the challenging assignemnt, the mood was dampened, he was not having the people's support even from his own constituency Latoor and after series of terrorist incidents every time he was coming with the same stereotyope response.

The CPM leader said that even when Mr L K Advani was Home Minister the situation was in no way different and listed the terrorist attacks on Parliament and in J&K assembly.

He said for the last ten years both the Congress and the BJP have proved that they can play with terrorism for political purposes but cannot deal with it.

In a similiar tone, Mr Dasgupta said Mr Patil never measured with the enormous task of dealing with the menace of terrorism.''whether it was terrorist attacks in Orissa, Assam or other places, he never proved his mettle and confidence'', Mr Dasgupta said.

''If the minister is incompetent, the whole ministry and departments becomes dull and insensitive, he added.

While the CPI(M) suggested a four-point strategy to combat terrorism, including the cordeal Centre-State relations and modernisation of the police force, CPI said the move is necessitated to make the security forces capable of facing the new challenge.

Mrs Karat said the other steps the government must take includes the provision of best equipment available. She said even today the provisions for availability of such equipment remain only on paper.

Even Coastal police station are not modernised.

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