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Tara Shankar Sahay in Amritsar
Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Jana Krishnamurthy on Friday emphasised that terrorism could not be 'compartmentalised', and asserted that terrorist attacks on America are no different from the terrorist attacks on Jammu and Kashmir.
In his introductory speech to the BJP's two-day national executive, which began on Friday in Amritsar, he said, "There is a war in our region and a dramatic change had occurred in the international scene and our neighbourhood."
Underscoring that terrorism had to be eliminated from the world, Krishnamurthy said, "India understood the anxiety of America to punish Osama bin Laden who is enjoying the protection and patronage of Taleban by its military action."
"But America should remember that just eliminating Taleban in Afghanistan would not provide the desired result," he said.
He added the US should cooperate with India and other countries in rooting out terrorism from other parts of the world.
He appealed to all countries to ruthlessly stamp out terrorism and terrorists outfits everywhere in the world.
The BJP chief said the elimination of terrorism was not the responsibility of the government alone.
Pointing out that the country's security forces were doing a great job in fighting terrorism, he said they on their own could not succeed unless they had the support of the entire nation.
"The terrorist challenge is a challenge to the entire country, and as such the entire nation accepts this challenge and shall fully back the efforts of the government in the fight against terrorism," he pointed out.
Krishnamurthy appealed to the opposition parties not to allow partisan interests to come in the way of fighting terrorists.
Referring to the role of Pakistan and its President Pervez Musharraf, the BJP chief contended that the September 11 attacks had made it (Pakistan) cooperate in the American-led effort against terrorism.
"Naturally, it appears to be a balancing act in Pakistan's efforts to scrape through the situation," he said, underlining the world knew that Pakistan had been helping Taleban and its terrorists.
"It is strange that President Musharraf is trying to doublespeak, when he brands cross-border terrorism as freedom struggle, and on the other admits terrorism in Afghanistan," he said.
Contending that Pakistan should stop cross-border terrorism if it is serious in its cooperation in the global fight against terrorism, Krishnamurthy said, "India has made it clear it is prepared to have talks with Pakistan on all issues including Kashmir provided necessary peaceful climate is created."
Questioning how Pakistan or the world expected India to respond to an Indo-Pak dialogue when Islamabad was continuing cross-border terrorism, the BJP chief emphasised, "If President Musharraf and Pakistan shed their claws of terrorism first (and) then they will find India extending a hand of friendship to Pakistan."
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