If any party has faced terrorism, it's Congress: Sibal

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday fielded science and technology minister Kapil Sibal, during the debate on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, to emphasise that modifications to UAPA would not make it ���a replica of POTA���.

Mr Sibal argued that Congress had ���learnt from experience��� to create some of the most ���stringent��� anti-terror laws in the world but without giving up on ���basic human rights.��� He essentially countered Opposition leader L K Advani. Mr Sibal���s said, ���this law (the amended UAPA) is not a replica of POTA,��� adding it would have no provision to admit confession made to a police officer as evidence.

He also mentioned that some of those arrested under POTA were still in jail. ���Who will take responsibility for that,��� he asked. Mr Sibal sought to upstage BJP���s claims about having a tougher terror law by reminding the party that it was the Congress which had brought Tada. ���You (BJP) should remember that we brought Tada. If anybody has faced terrorism, it is the Congress party,��� he said, adding that when Congress realised that Tada was being misused it was scrapped.

Responding to Mr Advani���s mention of laws in the US, Mr Sibal countered that Indian laws were more stringent than those in the US and the UK. ���The Patriot Act in the US is applicable to non-citizens...In the UK, a person can be kept under detention only for 28 days. Under our law, the detention will be for 180 days,��� he pointed out.

He trained his guns on the BJP for ���playing politics��� with POTA. ���POTA was a tool for you to take your politics forward,��� he charged at one point. Taking a dig at election-eve advertisement of the BJP he said: ���You said you don���t indulge in politics but you have put out advertisements... you talk of nationalism. But you have indulged in crass politics.���

He said Congress did not ���want to throw into the dustbin basic human rights,��� while bringing in the new laws. The leader also invoked the Congress��� familiar line on the BJP���s Kandhar lapses, arguing that if the previous government had not released Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, the attack on Parliament would not have taken place.

Mr Sibal also said strong anti-terror laws may not be enough to prevent terror attacks but could ensure speedy and effective trials. ���Though you had POTA, how many terrorist acts were you able to prevent? Mohammad Ajmal Kasab came to Mumbai despite Mcoca,��� Mr Sibal said. He said terrorism would remain a problem and could not be dealt with by just making political points or with just two laws. He compared terrorism to a soccer game where everybody remembers the one shot which goes through. The leader said there was a need for putting up a united front against terror.