Date:15/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/15/stories/2006071514590500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Terrorism: call to mobilise public opinion against Pakistan

Special Correspondent

Centre urged to keep up pressure on Pakistan to dismantle terrorist camps

Blasts are part of larger conspiracy to destabilise India

`Internal security is turning dysfunctional'

HYDERABAD : Former BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu has suggested a branched strategy in relation to the serial blasts in Mumbai on Tuesday to deal with terrorist violence within the country.

"The Mumbai blasts and violent incidents experienced elsewhere earlier cannot be viewed in isolation as they are part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise India," he warned at a news conference here on Friday.

The mobilisation of international public opinion to mount pressure on Pakistan not to aid or abet terrorism is vital, as is the courage and conviction to dismantle the infrastructure built by ISI in India.

He urged the Central Government to continue requesting Pakistan to dismantle the terrorist camps in the country if it was interested in doing business across borders.

Internal security lapse

Mr. Venkaiah Naidu suspected that the internal security apparatus of the country had become dysfunctional as the Government was reluctant to adopt new laws to deal with terrorism due to the link between vote bank politics and anti-terrorist policies. This, he claimed, had led to the ineffectiveness of the Government which in turn had helped terrorists carry out an undeclared war on the country by continuously attacking various centres.