India is witnessing a terror war, says Advani

Declaring that it was together with the United Progressive Alliance government in the war on terror, the Opposition on Thursday assured its full backing to the Centre on any 'hard decisions' taken to help end the scourge in the wake of Mumbai attacks.

"The Home Minister has talked of taking hard decisions. Whatever steps you take which would help win the war on terror, my party and the National Democratic Alliance will support them," Leader of the Opposition L K Advani said in the Lok Sabha.

Advani's remarks came while participating in the discussion on the issue soon after the government assured the House that a number of steps, including strengthening laws and setting up a National Investigation Agency, would be taken to insulate the country from terror strikes like in Mumbai.

He said it must be understood that the 'epicentre' of terrorism against India was in Pakistan and that the Inter Services Intelligence was also a 'non-state actor' as it was "not under the control of the elected government in Pakistan and is answerable only to the Pakistan Army".

Noting that what was being witnessed against India was nothing but a 'terror war', Advani said that the whole nation is united including the government and the opposition when it comes to fighting this war.

The Leader of the Opposition expressed satisfaction that the House will be adopting a resolution today that would send the signal that the entire country was united in the fight against terror and there are no differences on the lines of any caste and creed.

Advani's speech, at some points, saw even several members from the treasury benches joining those of the Opposition in thumping their desks.

Turning to the Bharatiya Janata Party's defeat in the just-concluded Delhi and Rajasthan Assembly elections, he wanted the Congress and the government not to be under the 'false impression' that terrorism was not an issue with the people.

"We have lost rather than the Congress has won," he said about the electoral outcome in the two states.

Claiming that anger was seething among people, he said, "We will be underestimating the wisdom of the people ....It is wrong to infer that in the minds of the people terrorism is not an issue"

The Leader of the Opposition suggested that his party does not believe that the issue of accountability was only limited to the Union Home Minister and Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Advani said his party had not pressed the issue of accountability as regards the Prime Minister in the wake of the terror strikes in view of the fact that the Lok Sabha polls are not far away.

He said it was good on the part of the new Home Minister to apologise to the people of Mumbai for the lapses.