15,000 students to participate in anti-terrorism day event

, Nov 19: Over 15,000 students from schools and colleges would be administered the anti-

pledge at an event here on November 24, organised to mark the fifth anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The event, organised by the All India Anti-Terrorist Front, is called "Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani", AIATF chief M S Bitta said here. Bollywood celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Suniel Shetty would participate and encourage the children, Bitta said.

Ace tennis player Sania Mirza is also expected to attend, he said. "The celebrities would administer the pledge to the students to renew the fight against terrorism," Bitta said. The march to the venue would begin from 26/11 martyr Tukaram Omble's statue in South Mumbai. The late policeman's family members would also be present.

The former chief of Indian Youth Congress expressed concern over the "deteriorating situation in efforts to tackle terrorism.

"We have not learnt lessons from 26/11 and other terror attacks," he said. Bitta termed the security arrangements in Gujarat as the best in the country. He asked parties not to politicize terror attacks as "those who were killed were common men".

"We have not yet learnt lessons despite assassinations of L N Mishra, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi," he said. "I am going to file a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking to fix blame on concerned individuals, including then senior bureaucrats, for the security lapses which led to the assassinations and other terror acts," Bitta said. He also demanded a white paper on the issue.

PTI