BJP questions Cong terror pledge

The BJP has shot off seven questions to the Congress asking it to explain the steps taken by it to counter terror in the five years of its rule. Shekhar Iyer reports.

The BJP has shot off seven questions to the Congress asking it to explain the steps taken by it to counter terror in the five years of its rule. The move comes a day after Home Minister P Chidambaram unveiled the Congress’ roadmap to strengthen anti-terror mechanism.

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Once again raking up the issue of Afzal Guru — sentenced to death for attack on Parliament — BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said if the Congress was serious on terrorism, why was Guru’s clemency plea pending with the President for the two-and-a-half years?

The BJP also asked why the anti-terror special law was enacted only after the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai. "Even then, many vital provisions like admissibility of confessions was left out. Why?"

Prasad also wanted to know why the UPA failed to follow up with Pakistan the promise it made to the Vajpayee government to not to allow terror activities against India from its soil.

Even though the infiltration from Bangladesh posed a serious threat to national security, why did the UPA push the IMDT Act through the backdoor after it was quashed by the Supreme Court?

Refuting Chidambaram’s charge that the policing was weaker under the NDA, Prasad said, “Why is he misleading the nation by saying when L.K Advani was in office, the number of direct recruit in the IPS were reduced? The strength of the cadre is determined by the IPS (Fixation of Cadre) Regulation, 1995 in consultation with the states.”