Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley stressed that the party would push for evolving national consensus on tackling the menace.
In the wake of Mumbai blasts, the BJP today faulted government's policies to deal with terrorism after 26/11, saying they were "lopsided" and lacked a tough anti-terror law, while stressing that the party would push for evolving national consensus on tackling the menace.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, attacking the UPA for "slackness" in security set, also criticised government's resolve to keep on holding talks with Pakistan when "terrorism continues to be an instrument of state policy of the country."
Addressing a meeting of BJP workers here, Jaitley termed yesterday's Mumbai explosions as "an attack on India's security" and wondered why the government has failed to stop recurrence of such strikes despite the financial capital being a regular target of terrorists.
"It has become a custom (rewaj) for the terrorists to attack the financial capital of India. The terrorists know that attacking Mumbai would send a strong message across the world," he said.
"No one should say that the attacks took place after nearly three years.... That cannot be an excuse. Not a single incident had taken place in the US after the 9/11." he said.
Pointing fingers at Indian Mujaheedin, he said the impression that it was a homegrown outfit was wrong as it was "externally created and externally supported".
Questioning why counter-terrorism measures announced after 26/11 were not effective, he said the situation in the "neighbourhood" was a matter of great concern and all the political parties must agree on a national policy to combat terrorism and "speak in one voice".
He also criticised the government for cotinuing dialogue with Pakistan, saying talks would not bear any fruit if that country does not stop supporting the terror groups targeting India.
"I am appealing to all the political parties that despite differences on various issues, we should be united on how to deal with the menace of terror," Jaitley said, identifying threat of terrorism as single biggest challenge the country was facing.
"The home minister rightly said that we are living in a very troubled neighbourhood.... We should speak in one voice to combat the challenge of terrorism... it is not necessary to blame anybody. We will keep trying to make national unity to deal with terrorism," Jaitley said.
In this context he also trained his guns on National Advisory Council and civil society, saying "should the civil society not think about national security? Why cannot the NAC discuss about it?"
Questioning Centre's policies to deal with terrorism, he slammed the UPA for repealing POTA. The BJP leader said the government wants to bring a legislation to deal with communal violence when no such incident has happened in the recent past but the need for a tough anti-terror law has not been felt by the government despite the country facing terror attacks.
Reminding that TADA was brought by Rajiv Gandhi, he said vote-bank politics resulted in scrapping of POTA by the UPA.
"People have sympathy for the Parliament attack convict.... We have people who questioned authenticity of the Batla House encounter. These are the people who favour a legislation to deal with communal violence but do not think we need a tough law to deal with terrorism," he said.
Demanding strengthening of the security set up, he referred to the announcements made after the 26/11 and wanted to know from the government concrete steps taken so far.
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