Manmohans call for federal agency probe lacks bonafides: BJP

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley today criticized Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for being soft on terror, and said that the Prime Ministers call for a federal agency to probe the terrorist activities lacks bonafides.

New Delhi, May 18 : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley today criticized Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for being soft on terror, and said that the Prime Minister's call for a federal agency to probe the terrorist activities lacks bonafides.

Jaitley said that Singh has used his softness on terror for vote-bank politics rather than for security considerations.

He will have to cover a very long distance to re-establish his bonafides in this matter, Jaitley said.

He was reacting to Singh's statement on Saturday that there was need for a federal agency to combat terrorist activities.

"It is obvious that one state alone cannot fight or investigate terrorism. Terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism, has not only inter-state but also international ramifications," Jaitley said, adding that more stringent laws were required to meet the terrorist threat.

"You are not making anti terrorism laws and the ones which the state governments are making, you are not sanctioning them. Accused who are given capital punishment, for the violent attack on Parliament, you are not executing those persecutions. Also you are trying to pull back the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) on cases in Gujarat. Now the country will find it difficult to trust your bona fides," said Jaitley.

Meanwhile, the BJP protested in Patna against the failure of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to tackle the problem of terrorism.

The BJP party workers took to the streets in Patna on Sunday demanding capital punishment for the prime accused in the Jaipur-blasts case. They also demanded resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"The power and strength of terrorists is constantly increasing. These terrorists who targeted the religious places should be hanged to death. Also all the efforts of Manmohan Singh's government have failed miserably. We demand that he should submit his resignation immediately," said Pradip Dubey, President of BJP's Yuva Morcha.

ANI