India 'passive' in dealing with terror: Sinha

India has been showing "lack of political will" and "passivity" in the war against terror, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha said on Sunday and favoured retaliatory action rather than "defensive measures" to combat the menace.

India has been showing "lack of political will" and "passivity" in the war against terror, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha said on Sunday and favoured retaliatory action rather than "defensive measures" to combat the menace.

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"India has been so passive in dealing with terrorism. In Israel, after a terror attack, retaliation comes in a matter of hours. Americans sent forces across continents after 9/11. We have not even dared to attack terrorist camps in PoK," Sinha said at a seminar on 'Combating Terrorism' in New Delhi.

"No war is won by defensive measures only. We need to respond immediately, have options of coercive and military action ready...How many terror targets you can defend?"

Sinha said four 'P's- political will, professionalism, people's support and publicity, which includes proper handling of media- should be combined to fight terror effectively.

Maintaining that the state "lacks political will", he said during his tenure as Governor of Assam he took up the issue of infiltration from Bangladesh- "the root cause of terrorism" in the North-East. "But I was dubbed communal. Fourteen Congress MPs peitioned the President for my removal."

"After 26/11 too, we have seen ministers speaking in different voices. One of them demands a judicial probe into Batla House encounter, another favours citizenship to illegal Bangladeshis," Sinha said.