Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120159340400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Telugu Desam, BJP hail Patil’s resignation

He should have quit long back, says TDP
BJP for revival of POTA

HYDERABAD: TDP and BJP on Sunday welcomed Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s resignation while criticising the UPA Government for failing to curb terrorism.

At a press conference senior TDP leaders Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, K. Ram Mohan Rao and P. Yadagiri, MLC, said Mr. Patil’s resignation was the ‘right step although face-saving’.

He should have quit “long back”, if it was due to “moral responsibility”, as more than 800 people were killed in terror attacks across the country.

Pointing out that the US had prevented such incidents after 9/11, they said terror attacks were occurring regularly due to the Centre’s ‘failure to act on intelligence inputs’.

On the move to set-up a federal agency to combat terrorism, they said State’s powers should not be eroded; it would be better to strengthen the existing system.

Former BJP president Bangaru Laxman said though Mr. Patil’s resignation was welcome, merely replacing him with P. Chidambaram would not improve the situation. He demanded revival of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and urged the UPA Government to stop indulging in vote-bank politics.

Meanwhile, TDP leaders said the autobiography of former Chief Minister N. Bhaskara Rao ‘did not reflect the truth’. They condemned him for using it as a ‘tool for political gain’.

Mr. Rao should have mentioned how he had ‘illegally’ toppled the late N.T. Rama Rao and the Congress’ role in the unsavoury episode.