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Tara Shankar Sahay in Amritsar
The national executive meet of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday adopted a resolution on terrorism, which stressed that India should go all out to eliminate terror from both 'inside' and 'outside' the country.
The resolution, released to reporters by party chief K Jana Krishnamurthy at the conclusion of the two-day national executive meet, pointed out: "India has rightly chosen for the present not to go in for hot pursuit (of the terrorists across the Line of Control), as it has full confidence in its present proactive policy."
But the option of exercising 'hot pursuit' in the future, was justified in the resolution by referring to the US policy of 'crossing continents' to wage war against international terrorism.
It said the party's national executive appreciated the government's determined stand to combat terrorism unleashed by terrorist groups across the border, aided and abetted by Pakistan.
It said the BJP, therefore, urged the government to bring forward suitable legislation to tackle terrorism, referring to the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance as 'a step that needs to be supported by all'.
The resolution expressed the hope that Muslim leaders in India and around the world 'will appeal to their followers to disassociate themselves from the small group of fanatics who are committing acts of terrorism in the name of religion'.
"Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had very appropriately cautioned the people against identifying terrorism with Islam," the resolution said.
It, however, underscored that India's assistance (to the US in fight against global terrorism) should be in accordance with national interests.
Later, Krishnamurthy said the BJP would observe November 18 as National Unity against Terrorism Day, and would bring out a publication containing the intricacies and clarifications on POTO to mobilise the masses in its favour.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders rejected the perception that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Union Home minister Lal Kishenchand Adavani were at variance on POTO.
While Advani late on Friday had adopted a combative stand on it by contending that opposition parties were 'wittingly or unwittingly' helping terrorists by opposing POTO, Vajpayee during the morning session on Saturday told the national executive meet that a consensus is necessary for POTO to become a law.
BJP chief K Jana Krishnamurthy, however, flatly denied that Advani had made such an assertion although a senior party leader, who did not want to identified told rediff.com that he did not hear the Union home minister make such a contention.
Trying to clarify the situation, Krishnamurthy said Advani had stressed that unlike the opposition parties, the BJP does not allow political considerations to come in the way of national security interests.
He emphasised the anti-terrorism ordinance was well-drafted.
According to Krishnamurthy, Advani had pointed out that the Congress-ruled state of Maharashtra had a similar legislation, as did Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
Deploring the opposition parties alleged view of POTO from a 'political angle', Krishnamurthy quoted the home minister as underscoring that the government was successful in combating terrorism as reflected in its destruction of 125 Inter-Services Intelligence modules and the killing of a large number of terrorists.
Advani also had referred to the banning of the Students Islamic Movement of India as the government's fight against terrorism, the BJP chief pointed out.
Related Reports: BJP to go all out to pass POTO in Parliament BJP asks govt to rectify anomalies in WTO pact Advani's silence baffles party workers US should join fight against J&K terrorism India not to increase tension with Pakistan: PM
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