Sonia meets PM on terrorism issue
With the UPA grappling with mounting criticism of its handling of the issue of terrorism, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday had a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to strategise the way ahead.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: With the UPA grappling with mounting criticism of its handling of the issue of terrorism, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday had a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to strategise the way ahead.
Gandhi met Singh after the Prime Minister indicated that the government was considering a legislation to further strengthen the substantive anti-terrorism law in line with the global consensus on the fight against terror.
The meeting of the UPA chairperson with the PM assumed significance in the backdrop of the serial blasts in Delhi and demands for the removal of Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
The Congress-led UPA government has been at the receiving end after the Delhi blasts with main opposition BJP accusing the ruling coalition of being "soft" on terror.
With BJP on the offensive on the issue of terrorism, Congress today took a U-turn on the issue of terror law coming out in favour of a strong legislation but with sufficient safeguard to prevent misuse.
"We need a strong law on terror," party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters here ahead of a meeting of the union cabinet to discuss the issue of terrorism.
Natarajan's statement caused a ripple at the AICC briefing as Congress as also the government has been contending so far that the existing laws were adequate to deal with terrorism and crimes having inter-state links.
The change of stance by the ruling party has come at a time when discussion is on in government circles for having a minister for internal security to tackle terror.
Gandhi met Singh after the Prime Minister indicated that the government was considering a legislation to further strengthen the substantive anti-terrorism law in line with the global consensus on the fight against terror.
The meeting of the UPA chairperson with the PM assumed significance in the backdrop of the serial blasts in Delhi and demands for the removal of Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
The Congress-led UPA government has been at the receiving end after the Delhi blasts with main opposition BJP accusing the ruling coalition of being "soft" on terror.
With BJP on the offensive on the issue of terrorism, Congress today took a U-turn on the issue of terror law coming out in favour of a strong legislation but with sufficient safeguard to prevent misuse.
"We need a strong law on terror," party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters here ahead of a meeting of the union cabinet to discuss the issue of terrorism.
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Natarajan's statement caused a ripple at the AICC briefing as Congress as also the government has been contending so far that the existing laws were adequate to deal with terrorism and crimes having inter-state links.
The change of stance by the ruling party has come at a time when discussion is on in government circles for having a minister for internal security to tackle terror.
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