As the demand for a new anti-terror law gains momentum, the Communist Party of India-Marxist has said only "tough" laws cannot curb the menace and the "hate politics" pursued by the Sangh Parivar have to be defeated first.
In an editorial in the forthcoming issue of party mouthpiece People's Democracy, the CPI-M said attacks on Christians in Karnataka "do not portend well" for an effective fight against terror.
"One important prerequisite of fighting terrorism is that we defeat the hate politics of the Sangh Parivar. Those who are weakening the democratic and secular character of the country like the Sangh Parivar are not fighting terrorism in real terms, but only promoting vote bank politics," it said.
The CPI-M noted that attacks against Christians came in the aftermath of the Bharatiya Janata Party national executive meeting in Bengaluru, which has unveiled its communal agenda for the coming Lok Sabha polls.
"The attacks on Christians are a part of this strategy. The most dangerous message that is being sent out by the BJP-ruled states is that the minorities cannot expect just and equal treatment as citizens. This creates the most fertile ground for the terrorists of all hues.
Eliminating terrorism requires that we strengthen the democratic and secular character of the Indian State," the CPI-M said.
Emphasising that it was obvious that "reliance only on tough terror laws" is not going to curb terrorism, it said it needs to be repeated once again that when Prevention of Terrorism Act "adorned the statute books, terrorist attacks took place on Parliament, Red Fort, Raghunath temple and Akshardham temple."