Author: Special Correspondent
Publication: The Telegraph
Date: August 30, 2008
URL: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080830/jsp/nation/story_9763994.jsp
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi today
met the Prime Minister to ask him to clear his state's pending anti-terror
law.
"I am not here as a BJP leader but as
a voice of the Gujarat Assembly, which represents 5.5 crore people. We should
face terrorism as a united force," Modi said. "I hope the Prime
Minister and the central government will show political will and take a decision
soon."
Modi said he told Manmohan Singh that a law
similar to the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Act was in force in neighbouring
Maharashtra.
"It is important to understand that this
law exists in Maharashtra and if a bomb blast takes place, they can use it.
But if it happens in Gujarat just 50km away, I don't have the law," he
said.
Modi said he requested Singh "to immediately
pass Gujarat's law against organised crime, which has been passed twice by
the Assembly and has been lying with the Centre for the past four years".
He could not resist a dig at the UPA's stand
that there was no need for an anti-terror law like the Prevention of Terrorism
Act. That law was repealed by the current regime months after it came to power
in 2004.
"I want to tell those politicians who
have their minds filled with vote bank politics that there were terrorist
activities even when Pota was in force and that despite having Section 302
(of IPC which gives death penalty for murder) murders do take place. Does
this mean we remove this clause?" he said.
Modi had sent a request to Singh that national
security adviser M.K. Narayanan be present during their meeting. "I apprised
them about the information revealed by the terrorists arrested for their involvement
in the Ahmedabad blasts."
Calling for better co-ordination between the
Centre and the states, Modi said: "It has come to light that states which
are doing well economically are especially being targeted. I requested the
Prime Minister to call a meeting of such states and he has agreed to it."
