BJP blames Pak, Govt more subtle

Shaken by the terrorist attack on the Gandhinagar temple, the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP here today demanded a long-term strategy to comba...

Shaken by the terrorist attack on the Gandhinagar temple, the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP here today demanded a long-term strategy to combat terrorism and called for a series of measures, including a provision of multi-purpose identity cards and a national citizenship register.

The national executive of the party, which held an emergency meeting to discuss the temple strike, decided to observe October 1 as Anti-Terrorism day. The two-hour meeting was addressed by Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani. A total of 40 members were present, including Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and former party presidents Kushabhau Thakre and Bangaru Laxman.

Prime Minister Vajpayee was conspicuous by his absence. BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu, when asked about it, said he was busy elsewhere. And that he briefed him on the deliberations later, he added.

The executive adopted a resolution describing the attack as 8216;8216;a part of a larger conspiracy to weaken our country, disrupt our social fabric and bring our polity under strain by instigating social tensions.8217;8217;

It called upon people 8216;8216;to join hands to strengthen the fabric of social harmony and unity to a degree that on one can dare to breach.8217;8217;

Naidu, listing the measures suggested by the executive, said the Government had to focus on a greater isolation of Pakistan for fanning terrorism, review security measures and check infiltration more effectively.

Naidu said Advani told the executive that many people were disappointed that nothing happened in Gujarat after the attack. What followed the Godhra killings had not been repeated. When asked why was it so, Naidu said that the 8216;8216;liquidation of the terrorists8217;8217; involved in the attack had gone a long way in assuaging public feelings, which had not happened post-Godhra.

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A journalist pointed at the reaction of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and wondered how was the action-reaction logic missing from his speeches this time. Naidu shot back: 8216;8216;It was your expression, action-reaction, Newton8217;s law. Modi never used them. Only some people were silent on Godhra and violent on Ahmedabad.8217;8217;