Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Revive POTA: BJP leader

VISAKHAPATNAM: It is necessary to revive the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), which was enacted by the BJP-led NDA government but repealed by the Congress-led UPA government, in any other shape or by any other name to put an end to the terrorist activities in the country, according to BJP senior leader and former Union Minister Ch. Vidyasagar Rao.

The Centre alone was responsible for the death of many persons due to terrorist attacks in Ahmedabad, for the terrorists planting many bombs in Surat and for the many bomb blasts that occurred in other parts of the country in the past, he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

“If the UPA is not willing to revive the POTA because it was enacted by the NDA, it could give it another name. But an act like POTA is absolutely necessary for the country to stop terrorism,” he said.

Terrorist attacks were taking place only in the BJP-ruled States and the situation was very bad in these States with people scared even to come out of their homes. Thousands of terrorists from Bangladesh and Pakistan could easily move into India because there was no law like POTA to give them deterrent punishment. Hyderabad became a haven for terrorists, Mr. Vidyasagar Rao observed.

He blamed the Government for giving a lot of stress to the nuclear deal issue which would only please the US, than concentrating on controlling terrorism.

On the party issues, the BJP leader said the Sankalp Sabhas held in all districts provided a positive feedback and there were indications that AP, which supported the idea of A.B. Vajpayee as Prime Minister in the past, would also go in the same line regarding the candidature of L.K. Advani as Prime Minister in the next elections.

On film star Chiranjeevi floating a party, the BJP leader said the BJP would wait and see.

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