Mahanta mounts attack on Congress for failure to stop terror

Guwahati, Nov 30 (UNI) Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has launched a direct attack on the Congress for being ''soft'' on terror in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai.

Addressing a press conference here last night, when most of the opposition parties restrained themselves from taking on the government to present a united face, he said terrorists were repeatedly targetting India because of ''lack of political will and determination.'' ''The UPA government said the POTA did not deter the terrorists from attacking Parliament or Akhshardham temple. What they do not realise is that if those laws were not there, the attacks could have been much more serious as has been the case now,'' he said.

''People talk of green courts for saving the environment but one fails to understand why the same people do not talk of separate courts for those endangering the very existence of the country,'' he thundered.

Mincing no words he said, ''There are strict laws for every major crime but still regulations and new laws are enacted to make them stricter with more punishment, but when it comes to the integrity of the country, why the same government shies away is not known.'' He alleged that the present Congress government in Assam was also soft on militants and allowing them to regroup and get strengthened after the Bhutan operation. As a result, the state witnessed the worst type of blasts, which left nearly 100 people dead.

''The government and all political parties must sit together and evolve a common strategy which should not be based on communal or regional approach,'' he said.

He demanded that the Centre also should make provision to establish permanent bases for SPG in Guwahati, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, besides Delhi, so that in case of any eventuality, they could be rushed to any place in less than 30 minutes and save precious lives.

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