<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Mythical war on terror </b>
Pioneer.com
Absence of strong deterrent law makes India a soft target; the Centre must give better account of its will to fight terrorism, says Prakash Singh
A debate is currently raging within the country on the need and desirability of having a permanent anti-terror law. The National Security Advisor recently said that one of our nuclear installations is under terrorist threat. The Defence Minister said that the infrastructure of the country and the religious establishments are among the likely targets.
Apparently, a horrendous scenario is building up, and we must therefore take an early decision on this crucial point.
It would be educative to look at the issue in its historical perspective. The Law Commission of India, an advisory body headed by a former judge of the Supreme Court, recommended the adoption of a law designed to deal firmly and effectively with terrorists and their activities. When the very existence of a liberal society is at stake, they opined, drastic measures meant to strengthen law enforcement and the maintenance of public order were necessity.
Accordingly, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA was enacted in 1987. The Act gave stringent powers of search and seizure to the police, which could indict any person, who would then be tried by a special court according to special procedures. There were instances of TADA being misused for political purposes. The Supreme Court nevertheless upheld its constitutional validity in Kartar Singh Vs State of Punjab (1994), considering that the country was in the "firm grip of spiralling terrorist violence and is caught between deadly pangs of disruptive activities".
<b>TADA was eventually allowed to lapse in 1995. Subsequently, the country was witness to major terrorist incidents including the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar in 1999 and the assault on Parliament on December 13, 2001. The Government was thereupon obliged to enact the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA).</b>
Significantly, several provisions of TADA were diluted in the new enactment. And yet, POTA was also criticised on the ground that it gave extraordinary powers to the law enforcement agencies, which were being misused.<b> The UPA Government unfortunately gave a commitment to repeal POTA, and so it was also allowed to lapse. The modified version of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004 which replaced it, is an apology of an anti-terror law.</b>
The opponents of anti-terror law usually raise three myths to buttress their arguments: <b>that the existing laws are adequate to deal with the menace of terror, that even when TADA or POTA were in vogue terrorist incidents could not be prevented, and that these laws are generally misused. What are the realities?</b>
Those who say that the existing laws are adequate either do not understand the practical aspects of law enforcement or take that plea for extraneous reasons. When the Indian Penal Code was drafted, the crime of terrorism was relatively unknown and so there was no provision to deal with this form of crime in the Code. Without an anti-terror law, a terrorist would have to be booked under several sections of different Acts, like the Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act, relevant sections of the IPC, etc.
It will make the job of police and prosecution far more difficult. Conviction, under the circumstances, would be a far cry. <b>In the Rajiv Gandhi's assassination case, the accused could be sentenced only because TADA was applied.</b>
The argument that terrorist incidents could not be prevented even when we had specific laws is absurd, to say the least. There are sections to deal inter alia with offences of murder and rape in the IPC, but these sections have not been able to prevent the offences. Does it mean that we shall do away with sections 302 and 376 from the IPC?
In fact, much of the IPC will have to be scrapped. <b>The Prevention of Corruption Act has not been effective in curbing the evil of corruption. Shall we then do away with this law also?</b> Going by the argument of the opponents of anti-terror law, we may have to revert to the law of jungle.
<b>The third argument is equally specious. Many laws are, in fact, misused. The Arms Act is misused. The Narcotics Act is misused. Nobody, has ever suggested that these laws should be annulled.</b> If a law is misused, the answer lies in, firstly, punishing the person who misused the law and abused his authority and, secondly, in inserting such provisions as may be necessary in the law to prevent its misuse. Throwing the child with the bath water is no solution.
The opponents of POTA forget that even the most advanced democracies of the world have found their existing legal framework inadequate to deal with the problem of terrorism.
In the wake of 9/11, the US enacted the Patriot Act, giving sweeping power to the domestic law enforcement and the intelligence agencies. UK's Terrorism Act 2006, makes it a criminal offence to glorify acts of terrorism, training and preparing for terror activities or disseminating related publications.
The Act even enables authorities to detain terror suspects for up to 28 days.
US and UK may still have terrorist attacks. However, leaders in both the countries have shown political courage in dealing with the problem and they have broadly been supported by people across the political spectrum.
In India, on the other hand, extraneous considerations play a major part and national security takes back seat. If our leaders do not change their mindset, the people of the country will have to pay a very heavy price in terms of loss of life and property.
Incidents which happened in Delhi, Mumbai or Ayodhya might pale into insignificance compared to the incidents which are looming on the horizon.
<b>"The freedom of individual must takes second place to the security of the state," </b>said Lord Denning. Would our political leadership care to listen? Or, would they wake up only after a major catastrophe overtakes the country?
- (The writer is a retired Police chief)
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http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/15/stories/...350300.htm
<b>Commandos conduct survey around Kaiga</b>
Correspondent
Navy helicopters likely to conduct sorties in the area
KARWAR: The commando team of the Army, which arrived at Kaiga two days ago, conducted a survey of forest areas around Kaiga on Sunday to find out any possible hideouts of terrorists, sources said.
This is for the first time since the inception of Kaiga Nuclear Power Generating Station that an Army contingent has come to Kaiga to provide security to the project.
<b>Threat</b>
This follows the threat of terrorist attack on the project.
According to sources, the commandos, in different groups, conducted a search of the places around Kaiga.
They visited the villages, including Hartoga, Balemane and Kuchagar, near the project and told the villagers the ways of dealing with unidentified persons.
The villagers were informed to intimate the presence of any such persons in the nearby places to the authorities.
<b>Sorties</b>
Navy helicopters are likely to conduct sorties as a measure of surveillance around Kaiga and the traffic on the roads to Kaiga has been prohibited, it is said.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>4 held for trespassing into Hindon airbase</b>
Pioneer.com
Staff Reporter | New Delhi
Four youth have been arrested for sneaking into the Indian Air Force Hindon airbase on Monday. The four, allegedly in an inebriated condition, were arrested while trying to scale the perimeter walls of the sensitive airbase. The youth have been identified as <b>Anil from Delhi, Shaukat Ali from Sahibabad, Wahid Ahmad and Abdul Gaffar from Aligarh</b>. According to the police, the accused were apprehended from Room No SMQ 625 of the IAF station. District Magistrate MKS Sundaram, taking a serious note of the breach, issued orders to the police to increase security around the airbase. <b>One of the four accused, Anil, appeared "intoxicated and confessed entering the prohibited area for bhang (Indanica Canabis) leaves growing in the wild".</b> The police have ruled the youth having any links with terrorist outfits. The four have been booked under Sections 3 (for spying) and 9 (attempts, incitements thereof) of the Official Secrets Act and are being interrogated.
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http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.p...pid=144&page=22
<b>Politicians will fight terrorism only if it gets them votes</b>
By K.P.S. Gill
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic...904914.cms
<b>IPS Officer suspended for violating code </b>
NEW DELHI: <b>Senior IPS officer Francis J Aranha </b>has been suspended on charges of violating his service code of conduct by taking up a job with an international organisation without informing the government.
<b>The sleuths found a work permit of the International Monetory Fund stamped on his passport which was in clear violation of his service code of conduct</b>, they said
An IPS officer recently posted as COUNSELLOR at the Indian embassy at washington has been detained in delhi for having a work permit for an organisation in the united states.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> US-bound cop detained
IGP Francis J Aranha, an IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, aroused suspicion by applying for VRS immediately on his return to India after a stint in the US
Narendra Kaushik/PTI
New Delhi: A senior Maharashtra cadre IPS officer, deputed to the Intelligence Bureau (IB), was recently detained at Delhi airport while heading for the United States without the departmentâs clearance.
<b>Inspector General of Police Francis J Aranha,47,</b> raised suspicion by applying for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) immediately on his return to India in July after a three-and-a-half year stint in the US in the Indian embassy at Washington DC. Security personnel reportedly began monitoring his movements.
The 1984 batch officerâs services were kept at the disposal of the Union home ministry but he had not got a fresh posting.
Even though his VRS application is yet to be accepted, Francis was recently detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport while heading for the US without informing his department.
He was questioned in detail and later suspended, sources in Delhi told PTI.
It is learnt that the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has impounded his passport.
â<b>PROCEDURAL LAPSEâ</b>
Francis could not be contacted for comments. Mumbai Mirror tracked down his relatives in Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi. Initially, they were tight-lipped saying media attention âwould have an adverse impact on Aranhaâs childrenâ. After much persuasion, they revealed that he had plans âto take up a job in the USâ.
They said Francis may have violated service rules by looking for a job in America despite being in government service, but insisted it was a mere procedural lapse.
âEvery individual has the right to work in the private sector. What is wrong with that? Yes, he violated some code technically. But that does not mean he was involved in spying. A simple matter of VRS is being blown into a controversy,â a relative said.
<b>ABOUT FRANCIS</b>
Family sources say Francis is an expert on security-related matters. He liaisoned with former American president Bill Clintonâs security personnel during his visit to India in March 2000. He had also handled the prime ministerâs security in the past.
⢠Every individual has the right to work in the private sector. What is wrong with that? Yes, he violated some code technically. But that does not mean he was involved in spying. A simple matter of VRS is being blown into a controversy
â Relative of Francis J Aranha<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Four Hizbul militants arrested in Punjab</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->GURDASPUR: Four Hizbul Mujahideen militants were arrested on Sunday with large quantity of arms and ammunition seized from them.
Police sources said an AK-47 rifle and huge cache of arms were recovered from their possession.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
link
<b>officer was posted with the Intelligence Bureau in the Indian Embassy in Washington till a few weeks ago</b>. According to a website, Aranha even represented India at the International Association of Police Chiefs in the US.
It's a new problem that top people in the government are now grappling with. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and the National Security Adviser M K Narayanan are now busy assessing just how much damage the IPS officer could have caused.
The questions that the government is finding answers for are: <b>Was Aranha's IMF visa a cover for American intelligence agencies and why did the IMF not check with the Indian government before giving Aranha a visa. The answers for these could hold clues to the entire espionage jigsaw puzzle of which Aranha could be just a small piece.</b>
<!--emo& --><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> 'Nehru wanted Army scrapped'
Asian News International
Lahore, August 21, 2006|20:16 IST
The Kashmir war saved the Indian Army from being scrapped, seems strange? Well, a biography of Major General AA "Jick" Rudra of the Indian Army by Major General DK "Monty" Palit claims so.
According to the book, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru blew his top when Lt General Sir Robert Lockhart, the first commander in chief of India took a strategic plan for a Government directive on defence policy.
"Shortly after independence, General Lockhart as the army chief took a strategic plan to the prime minister, asking for a government directive on the defence policy. He came back to Jick's office shell-shocked. When asked what happened, he replied, The PM took one look at my paper and blew his top. 'Rubbish! Total rubbish!' he shouted. 'We don't need a defence plan. Our policy is ahimsa (non-violence). We foresee no military threats. Scrap the army! The police are good enough to meet our security needs'," the Daily Times quotes the book as saying.
According to the book, Jick believed the Kashmir war saved the Indian Army.
"General Sir Douglas Gracie had been appointed commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army and he and General Lockhart daily exchanged information about refugees traversing Punjab in both directions. One day in late October 1947, Gracie mentioned that he had had reports of tribesmen massing in the area of Attock-Rawalpindi. Both men knew that cross-border raids from Pakistan had been mounted against Poonch. Kashmir was not a part of the dominion of India and Lockhart felt that the tribesmen posed no threat to India. He did not pass on the information to the ministry or general staff," the paper said.
"When confronted by Nehru three months later, he admitted this and added that he may have been remiss. Nehru turned to him and asked the general if his sympathies were with Pakistan? Aghast, Lockhart replied, 'Mr prime minister if you have to ask me that question, I have no business being the commander-in-chief of your forces. I know that there is a boat leaving Bombay in a few days, carrying British officers and their families to England. I shall be on it'," it added.
According to the biography General Lockhart called up his Military Secretary Jick Rudra the next day, January 26 1948, and suggested he start looking around for a successor since he had resigned from his post.
<b>Pak national killed in encounter </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->An AK 47 rifle and a sizeable quantity of RDX was also seized from them, police said.
One of the two Pakistani nationals <b>Riyaz Nawabuddin </b>was arrested late last night by the ATS on a tip off, police said adding the team then went to the Central Government Scheme (CGS) Colony in the Antop Hill area to apprehend his colleague who opened fire at them.
The ATS team fired in retaliation in which the second Pakistani suspect, identified as <b>Mohammed Ali alias Abu Osama</b>, was killed.
Riyaz Nawabuddin will be produced in court later in the day, police said.
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Terrorism after Babri demolition: Mulayam
Atiq Khan
Targeting Muslims and attacking madarsas as centres of "ISI activities" would weaken the country: CM
LUCKNOW: Refuting the Bharatiya Janata Party's allegations that the Uttar Pradesh Government was soft on terror, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Wednesday that he was working in tandem with the Central Government to control the menace. He said terrorism was a national problem and a concerted approach was needed to overcome it.
Stating that terrorism was absent till the demolition of the Babri Masjid during the BJP regime in the State, the Chief Minister blamed BJP and RSS for giving birth to the problem.
Replying to a debate in the Assembly on the law and order situation in the State, Mr. Yadav said though he did not believe in fixing blame on any organisation for promoting terror yet those involved in terror acts would not be spared. The Chief Minister said targeting the Muslims and attacking the madarsas as centres of "ISI activities" would only weaken the country.
When the Chief Minister was giving his reply, the BJP benches were vacant as the party MLAs had staged a walkout. The cause of the boycott was the `little time' allotted by the Speaker, Mata Prasad Pandey, to the BJP members to speak on the issue. Interestingly, the walkout was led by senior BJP MLA and former Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi with the Leader of the Opposition, Lalji Tandon, following the other members.
Mr. Yadav was quick to seize on the apparent rift in the BJP ranks when he observed that it was perhaps for the first time in the annals of parliamentary practices that the Leader of the Opposition was following his MLAs. He regretted that the BJP had no faith in democratic traditions and parliamentary practices. He stated that the BJP's action should be censured.
Accusing the BJP of politicising the issue of terrorism, Mr. Yadav said if anybody was soft on terrorism that was the erstwhile BJP-led Central Government (NDA government), the then Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.
Charging that the BJP did not believe in the Constitution or rule of law, the Chief Minister said the party was not serious about finding a viable solution to the problem.
Taking note of the excerpts from the book, "Fulcrum of Evil: ISI, CIA, Al-Qaeda nexus", which were quoted by Mr. Tandon and Mr. Tripathi, the Chief Minister said the book seemed to have been sponsored by the BJP. Mr. Yadav revealed that he had been alerted by the Army and the intelligence that he was on the terrorists' "hit list".
He said the BJP would come to know its fate in the next State elections. Initiating the debate, the Leader of the Opposition said that threat of terrorism loomed large over the State and accused the Government of being soft on terror. Mr. Tandon alleged that the Chief Minister was close to the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and said the entire UP-Nepal border was in the grip of ISI activists.
When Mr Tandon referred to the book written by a former intelligence official which mentioned that 12 MLAs and the Chief Minister of a Central northern State had links with the ISI, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohammed Azam Khan rose to ask Mr. Tandon whether the implied reference was to Mr Yadav. On this the Leader of the Opposition denied that he was referring to the UP Chief Minister.
Pramod Tewari of the Congress blamed the BJP for trying to shift the focus by giving a communal colour to the problem of terrorism. He said a strong political will was needed to counter terrorism.
Kesari Nath Tripathi of the BJP held former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi responsible for terrorism gaining ground in the country. When the Speaker said that it was the turn of the Chief Minister to speak, Mr. Tripathi staged a walkout and was followed by other members.
India seeks deportation of ULFA leader
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->India has sought the deportation of ULFA General Secretary Anup Chetia and other militant leaders from Bangladesh.
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Revealed: 50 Lashkar men lurking in Mumbai
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Nearly 50 Pakistan-trained youths are still holed up in Mumbai and its adjoining areas and are ready to strike any time on the orders of Lashkar-e-Tayiba leaders across the border, police sources have said. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>PM warns of more likely terrorist attacks</b>
http://in.news.yahoo.com/060905/137/679wi.html
<!--QuoteBegin-k.ram+Sep 5 2006, 04:06 PM-->QUOTE(k.ram @ Sep 5 2006, 04:06 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>PM warns of more likely terrorist attacks</b>
http://in.news.yahoo.com/060905/137/679wi.html
[right][snapback]56829[/snapback][/right]
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So the UPA Government is now 'officially aware' of it before they will do nothing about it. This somehow ought to make me feel safer than if it was a total surprise.
<b>Pak troops advance, Army not worried</b>
Sunder forget about internal attack, this spineless government is not worried about external attack.
God save India!!
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Combating terror </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
<b>So it's official now. After trying to play down National Security Adviser MK Narayanan's alarming disclosures during the course of a television programme about how terrorists are planning spectacular attacks in India by targeting high profile targets, including nuclear power plants, the UPA Government has owned up to as much</b>. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while addressing Chief Ministers who had been summoned to Delhi to discuss the national security scenario, has not only painted a dismal picture of how vulnerable we are to jihadi strikes, but also reiterated his National Security Adviser's grim prognosis that we cannot rule out attacks by suicide bombers on vital installations, especially nuclear facilities. Obviously, there is a huge deficit between the Government's claim inside Parliament and admission outside: For all its brave talk, this regime, more so the Prime Minister, is clueless about how to go about protecting India and its citizens. What highlights this simple fact is the inability of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is supposed to be the nodal agency to prepare, implement and coordinate an effective internal security blueprint, to grasp the true dimension of the terror threat that looms large and menacingly over India. Nothing exemplifies this better than Home Minister Shivraj Patil's public utterances that run contrary to mounting evidence of the price we are paying for the absence of a counter-terrorism strategy, leave alone a policy or law to deal with the situation. With Mr Narayanan usurping the Home Ministry's role and making intelligence agencies directly accountable to him, it would be apt to quote Milton to describe the prevailing situation of utter flux: "With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout / Confusion worse confounded". At whose table does the buck stop? The Prime Minister's, of course. As the head of the Government, he cannot claim such knowledge of the dark days ahead and, at the same time, convey a sense of helplessness or, worse, make the State's responsible for the terrible rot that infests our national security framework that has been enfeebled by maudlin sentiments which have no place in a nation fighting terrorists across its length and breadth.
The Prime Minister has warned of "decentralised micro-terrorist outfits" that are waiting for an opportune moment to strike terror. What he means is sleeper cells waiting for the call to move into action mode. But what he and the Congress are not yet willing to accept is that the threat to India emanates more from homegrown terrorists than their masters hiding in caves in Waziristan. At Tuesday's meeting, Mr Manmohan Singh waxed eloquent on how it is wrong to target the entire Muslim community of India for a "few individual acts". He need not state the obvious: There is no merit in tarnishing every Muslim for the misdeeds of a handful of his or her co-religionists. Nor is any purpose served by not conceding the social and economic backwardness of the Muslim community as a whole. But surely the Prime Minister does not believe that jihad is fuelled by "legitimate grievances"? Imagined victimhood, manufactured rage and pan-Islamism have nothing to do with the social and economic development indices of the Muslim community, neither in India, nor elsewhere. If he must look for causative factors, he could begin with his Government's policy of minority appeasement and pandering to those who believe jihad is "holy war".
www.dailypioneer.com <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
09-08-2006, 06:58 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-08-2006, 07:00 PM by Bharatvarsh.)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Blasts rock Malegaon, over 30 killed
NDTV Correspondent
Friday, September 8, 2006: (Nashik)
At least 30 people are feared dead and more than 190 people have been injured after bomb blasts rocked Malegaon town in Nashik district of Maharashtra.
As per reports, the injured have been taken to different hospitals in Malegaon, including Farhan Hospital, Ali Akbar Hospital, the Rural Hospital of Malegaon and Medicare Hospital.
Also, around 112 injured people have been admitted at Wadia Hospital. Reports also state that minors have been killed in the stampede after the blasts.
Situation tense
The situation in Malegaon has been explained as tense, but under control.
However, there have been reports of an incident of stone pelting at Wadia Hospital and crowds have surrounded Azadnagar Police Station.
Reports also suggest that crowds gathered on the streets after the blasts and two police jeeps have been burnt.
A curfew has been imposed in the city, and the entry of outsiders has been banned in Malegaon.
Conflicting reports
Also, there are conflicting reports on the number of blasts as PS Pasricha, DGP, Maharashtra, the Nashik SP and the Maharashtra Chief Secretary have confirmed two blasts.
In contrast, the local police have said that there were three blasts in all. According to them, two of the bombs were planted in new cycles, while the third was put in a bouquet outside the masjid.
The local police have added that two blasts took place at Bada Kabristan and one at Mushavara Chowk.
However, there are conflicting reports on the location of the blasts too.
Moreover, it isn't clear what sort of explosives were used in the blasts, and the NSG has dispatched a bomb detection team to the site of the blasts.
Maharashtra on alert
A statewide alert has been sounded by the Maharashtra police, and mobile networks have been jammed in Malegaon.
The blasts have taken place after Friday prayers on the Muslim religious day of Shab-e-barat, a festival where the local Muslim community visits cemeteries to offer prayers for the dead.
The Rapid Action Force is being dispatched to the city and an ATS team is on its way to Malegaon.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra RR Patil has arrived in Malegaon.
PM calls for meeting
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has condemned the blasts and urged people to maintain calm.
The Prime Minister has also called for a high-level meeting, which he will be chairing shortly.
Meanwhile, the Home Minister Shivraj Patil is meeting with the Home Secretary and Intelligence officials.
After the blasts, the Home Minister also issued a statement condemning the blasts.
The Union Home Ministry has also sent detailed advisories to the Maharashtra government and other sensitive states to maintain calm and ensure there are no communal incidents.
Meanwhile, after the reports of the blasts, the national capital was put on a high alert.
Security has been stepped up at all vital installations and places of worship in Delhi, while checking has been intensified at all entry and exit points.
A tight vigil is also being maintained at crowded places, including railway and bus stations, cinema halls and market places. (With PTI inputs)
http://www.ndtv.com/breakingnews/default.a...o=98200663631PM<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is all an attempt to break the communal harmony in our country so I certainly hope we foil the aims of the terrorsists.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Malegaon clouds Parivartan Rally; BJP: Why doesn't the terror stop?
Pioneer.com
Rajeev Ranjan Roy | Dehradun
The serial blasts in Malegoan killing scores of people became the focal point of the BJP's historical Parivartan Rally at the city's Parade Ground on Friday evening. "Terrorist acts are being frequently executed in Malegoan. Why so? Can't the Government check such acts," former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee asked in his inimitable style.
<b>Targeting Pakistan and the Government's policy toward the neighbouring country, Vajpayee said: "Why the Government is not prepared to put checks on Pakistan? Nothing seems to be in order. We tried to develop friendship with Pakistan. The present Government should also act in this direction, but the fight against terrorism has to be intensified."</b>
Referring to the role of intelligence agencies in combating the menace of terror, Vajpayee said that efforts must be made to strengthen the country's intelligence network.<span style='color:red'> "The country has not yet been able to know who and how executed the serial train blasts in Mumbai. The intelligence agencies seem to be in a passive mode,"</span> Vajpayee said.
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<b>Intelligence failure led to serial blasts: PM</b>
What a surprise?
Do you think anything will happen?
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