Author: Pradeep Kumar
Publication: Organiser
Date: April 21, 2002
Inaugurating the delegate session
of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) at Kozhikode in Kerala recently,
the Union Minister of State for Home, Vidyasagar Rao said that madrasas
in Kerala were serving as bases for ISI agents to operate from.
"ISI agents are luring students
in many of these religious institutions to carry out militant mandates.
We really need to be alert against the mushrooming of such madrasas all
across the State", he said and added that the Central Government was not
against all madrasas per se, but only those with such dubious designs.
The Minister maintained that certain
human rights organizations too were in cahoots with the ISI, helping its
operations in the State. "The BJP-led Government is duty bound to thwart
attempts to destabilize the nation. But the opposition, during the last
four years, did not put forward a single suggestion how to contain this
menace", he told the massive gathering of youths.
The opposition and a section of
the media did not take a firm stand behind the Government even when terrorists
attacked Parliament", he added.
Shri Rao said that the responsibility
of containing violence and communal strife lay squarely on the political
parties, police personnel and the media. Crticising the role of media for
its role in the recent outbreaks of communal violence he said: "We have
enough laws to punish political leaders and police personnel who are found
guilty of inciting communal passion. But there is no provision to punish
press people who indulge in false information".
He asserted that POTA is essential
to quell the militant activities of organizations like SIMI.
BJP State president C. K. Padmanabhan
who spoke on the occasion said that Hindu organizations should realize
the real intentions of the UDF, which had been pampering the communal forces
ever since it came to power.