145;Internal security UPA146;s single largest failure146;

The Rajya Sabha debate on internal security degenerated into a slanging match today after the Treasury Benches objected to Shiv Sena

The Rajya Sabha debate on internal security degenerated into a slanging match today after the Treasury Benches objected to Shiv Sena member Manohar Joshi8217;s statement alleging that educated Muslim youth were turning to terror even as the UPA government followed a policy of appeasement of the minorities.

As the Congress and Opposition MPs heatedly treaded charges against each other, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha quickly adjourned the House at 5 pm with a word of caution for the members. Invoking the authority of the chair, he asked MPs 8220;not to attribute anything to any particular community8221; while participating in the debate. The point of the debate was to find a solution and 8220;help control the situation, not inflate it8221;.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who will reply to the debate tomorrow, added that 8220;it doesn8217;t help anyone if a particular community is targetted8221; and that 8220;the points in the debate should not be presented in a manner that divisions among the communities are increased8221;.

Initiating the short-duration discussion, former Law Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley launched a scathing attack on what he called the UPA government8217;s 8220;soft8221; approach on terror. Demanding that tough POTA-like laws be revived to tackle increased terrorist threats, Jaitley ridiculed the government for 8220;wanting to be in a state of denial8221;, 8220;soft on terror, soft on infiltration, soft on strong anti-terror law, soft on conviction of terrorists, soft on ULFA, Maoists8230;8221; Internal security, he said, was the UPA government8217;s 8220;single largest failure8221;, as apparent in the growing Naxalite menace.

Warning the government against dilution of India8217;s old stand on cross-border terrorism, Jaitley said this should be maintained as the 8220;core issue8221; in any negotiation with Pakistan. He also voiced strong opposition to encouraging any talk on 8220;self-rule8221; or the possiblity of going back to a pre-1953 status on Jammu and Kashmir.

Another recurring theme in Jaitley8217;s speech was the death sentence to Afzal Guru. He accused the government of delaying the execution of the death sentence.

Samajwadi Party8217;s Shahid Siddiqui called for a national consensus to tackle the internal security situation and also for a comprehensive counter-insurgency doctrine. He added that the bias against recruiting minorities for intelligence services needed to be removed.

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Putting across the ruling party8217;s view, Congress member Abhishek Manu Sanghvi reeled out statistics to prove the situation was indeed 8220;improving8221; whether in Kashmir, the North-east or in the Naxalite zone.