'Govt. has zero tolerance towards terrorism': Rita Bahuguna

Uttar Pradesh Congress President Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Thursday said that the arrest of Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal from the Indo-Nepal border last night is an important step towards fighting terrorism .

"We have zero tolerance towards terrorism. And those who comply with terrorism, we will take stern steps against them. This is an important step and government will not hesitate in taking such steps," she said.

According to NDTV reports, the Motihari Court gave the three-day transit remand to the National Investigation Agency to bring Bhatkal to Delhi.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had confirmed Yasin Bhatkal's arrest, and said that he is in the custody of the Bihar Police.

"Last night Yasin Bhatkal was arrested by some sources of our Intelligence agency and right now he is under the custody of Bihar police and the interrogation is going on. Right now, I can only confirm this that he has been arrested," he told media here today.

Yasin Bhatkal, who has been arrested from the Indo-Nepal border, was wanted for his role in a number of terror attacks in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Surat.

Bhatkal, who hails from Bhatkal in Karnataka, was wanted in the German Bakery bomb blast of February 13, 2010, in Pune that left 17 people dead.

Bhatkal's arrest is the second major breakthrough for Indian agencies after the arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda on August 16.