Govt not weak on terror, says Patil

Home Minister Shivraj Patil said that if being ‘soft on terror’ has helped improve the situation, it should be continued.

Rejecting charges that the government was weak on terror, Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Friday said that if being “soft on terror” has helped improve the situation, it should be continued.

“If you look at the statistics of incidents, casualties, injuries and property damage in last four years’ time and four years before that and if the statistics is favourable for this government, you cannot say we are soft on terror,” he said.

To a specific question if the government was weak on terror, Patil said there was no need for him to join the issue on this point.

Story continues below this ad

“Even if we are soft on terror and that method is helping, we should adopt it and continue with it.”

Asked why the government did not favour TADA or POTA-like law, he said the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act had enough provisions to deal with the menace of terrorism.

Patil said the existing law should be used properly to handle the situation.

On the Opposition’s criticism for failing to provide enough evidence to a special tribunal to ban SIMI, he said, “Let the Opposition say anything.”

Story continues below this ad

“I cannot sit on judgement on a judgement delivered by a judge (heading the tribunal),” he said adding that he would wait for the order of the Supreme Court, which has already given an interim stay on the tribunal’s judgement.

On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to visit the affected areas and is likely to meet families of the victims.

Bahraich faces new ‘wolf attacks’: 4 children mauled, 16 injured this month

Cities5 min ago

As many as four children have been killed and 16 injured in wild animal attacks, suspected to be wolves, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district this month — a chilling reminder of similar incidents that haunted the region last year. The body of one of the children is still missing. All those injured are adults, except for one child.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS