Parties prepare to mint votes

DELHI BLASTS

The Delhi bomb attacks, coming so close to the Assembly polls in five states, and also following serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, have brought internal security and terror as one of the main issues on which the fate of parties will be decided in the coming elections.

Congress leaders privately admit that apart from the rising inflation, recent blasts in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and other places will become a major issue not only for the forthcoming Assembly polls but also in the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP has aggressively raked up its demand to revive the Pota law to check terrorism, but the Congress argues that the party lacks clarity on the issue.

“After the Pota was repealed by the UPA government, all the substantive sections of the law have already been incorporated in the amendments to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Whatever law is required to combat terrorism is already available to the states,” says Manish Tiwari.

According to Tiwari, “Although we are fighting terrorism tooth and nail, a balance has to be maintained. Laws are essential to fight terrorism but civil rights also need to be protected.”

In Coimbatore, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said there were sufficient laws to tackle terrorism. “There is no dearth of laws to tackle terrorism in India. The problem lies in their proper implementation and utilisation of the enforcement and intelligence agencies,” he said.

On Narendra Modi’s allegation that the Centre is not allowing the special anti-terror Act for Gujarat, the Congress tries to put back the blame on the previous NDA government. “Modi had send the law for Centre’s approval when the NDA was in power. He should first ask L K Advani, why the Centre didn’t approve it then?” a Congress leader said.

While most of the Congressmen also privately admit that Shivraj Patil has been a total failure in the Home ministry, it is unlikely that when just a few months are left for the polls, the Congress will change the Home minister.

The BJP on its part is absolutely clear on what it sees as major issues which concern voters. “We are going to highlight the three ‘I’s, that is inflation, internal security and incompetence of the government,” said BJP campaign committee chief Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

The issue has also seen Modi take centre stage in the party. According to an old convention, it is former home minister L K Advani who speaks out against the UPA government’s handling of terror. This time round, at the party’s national executive in Bangalore, it was Modi who was fielded. The blasts have, it seems, rejigged some equations in the political firmament as well.

Meanwhile, the first political casualty of Delhi bomb blasts will in all likelihood be a rally to be addressed by Sonia Gandhi in the capital on September 19.