Don't play votebank politics on terror issue: BJP to parties

Cautioning political parties against playing votebank politics on the issue of terror, BJP today said an acute shortage of staff in IB and RAW is an indicator that there is a lack of determination and seriousness in fighting terrorism even five years after 26/11.
Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here that on the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks the country needs to introspect as Pakistan has not given up its evil designs of "aiding, abetting, training and funding" terrorists and encouraging cross border terrorism.
He asked the political parties not to link fight against terror with votebank politics.

"Terror has no religion. As long as there is tension across the border, there cannot be attention to development. Coastal security still remains vulnerable even after five years," he said.
The main Opposition emphasised on the need for building a "national determination" against terrorism.
Naidu, who heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, rued that intelligence services are "crippled" due to staff shortage.

"According to Minister of State for Home, IB has only 18,795 personnel as against the sanctioned strength of 26,867. This means a shortfall of 30 per cent. RAW's overall deficit in staff strength is 40 per cent," he said.

The BJP leader pointed out that officers who have never served in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh earlier- and hence lack area and language skills- are now holding key positions in RAW in these countries.
Naidu said RAW also lacks cryptanalysts, who break enemy codes and ciphers, and this is a critical deficiency.
"No officer has been appointed to head the telecommunication cadre of RAW for the last three years. The post is occupied by an Additional Secretary rank officer," he said.
BJP maintained that the blasts in Patna, Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad and other parts of the country indicate presence of sleeper cells which cooperate with terror groups.