Terrorism biggest threat to democracy: India

GENEVA: Terming terrorism as the "biggest threat" to democracy, India today said it was the worst sufferer of the scourge and the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly here should highlight the challenges posed by it.

"Terrorism is the biggest threat to democracy and India has been its worst sufferer.... After the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, the US government had a worldwide call for a war against terrorism and the entire world was convinced about it. The IPU should therefore highlight this issue which is a global scourge," Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said at the 131st IPU Assembly here.

He was speaking at the IPU's general assembly which was taking up the process of electing the next President of the global body, for which parliamentary leaders of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Australia and Maldives are in the race.

In his intervention, Bandopadhyay, who is part of the Indian parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, pointed out that the threat of terror to democracy had not been raised by the speakers and hence should be highlighted.

Responding to his speech, all the four presidential candidates said they agreed with Bandopadhyay's contention and were committed to do everything to preserve and protect the democratic traditions and systems worldwide, the TMC leader said. The IPU presidential polls are slated for October 16.

The five-day Assembly, which started here on Sunday, is scheduled to hold discussions on a variety of subjects ranging from gender equality, ending violence against women and human rights to global laws relating to national sovereignty and non-intervention in the internal affairs of States.

It would discuss trade and sustainable development, with reports on peace and international security and on United Nations affairs also being tabled.