BJP hails fatwa against terror

BJP hails fatwa against terror

NEW DELHI: The opposition BJP, known for its rhetoric against terrorism, on Sunday welcomed Darul Uloom Deoband’s fatwa against the scourge and complimented the leading Islamic seminary for declaring terrorism as the "most inhuman crime".

Members of the party’s national executive thumped their desks in agreement when party chief Rajnath Singh welcomed the Deoband statement, it is learnt.

While welcoming the seminary’s stand, the BJP lashed out at the Congress-led UPA government, in keeping with the party’s line on internal security and terror, which are its key election issues for the series of up coming assembly polls.

In his opening address at the party’s national executive here, Rajnath Singh said, "Deoband is seeking to dissociate Muslims from terrorism. But the central government wants to equate Muslims with terrorism and on this very basis is rejecting an anti-terrorism law.

Perhaps, the Centre wants to prove itself as a bigger messiah of the Muslims, even bigger than the madrassas." Continuing its attack on the government, Singh said the Manmohan Singh administration had "completely failed" to tackle terrorism and reiterated the party’s demand for a tough Pota type anti-terror law.

Claiming that Pota was repealed with an eye on votebank, he criticized home minister Shivraj Patil’s comments virtually equating Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru with Sarabjit Singh, an Indian on death row in Pakistan. Singh cited the spurt in terror attacks in the last four years and reports about stock markets and sensitive nuclear installations coming on the terror radar to reiterate his demand for a Pota-type law.

"Even after being completely exposed within and outside the country, if the government does not feel the need for an anti-terrorism law, then this would not only reflect its immaturity but also raise questions about its honesty," he said.

Claiming that the PM seemed to have accepted that terrorism was a national problem and it could not be dealt with at the state level, Singh said: "He (PM) has called for a separate federal investigating agency to deal with terrorism. I am surprised that the PM feels the need for a federal agency but does not feel the need for a federal law."

Singh slammed the Centre for keeping on hold acts against organized crime passed by BJP-ruled Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.