By IANS,
Lucknow : Accusing the Congress-led government of being soft on terrorism, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Saturday said only his party had the strength to meet the challenge.
Addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi district, he said: “The country has seen enough of terrorists and terror attacks and now it needs a party (BJP) that can combat both.”
The public meeting, part of the Vijay Sankalp rallies planned by the BJP across the country, was attended by hundreds of party workers.
Terming the Congress and its allies in the central government as “supporters of terrorists”, Advani, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, said: “Even as there is a spurt in terror incidents and terrorists are being caught, the government is not hanging Afzal Guru.”
Guru is awaiting the death penalty after being convicted for his role in the December 2001 terror attack on parliament. His mercy plea is pending before the president.
The government is not acting against the terrorist only to appease the minority community, Advani alleged.
Advani, who is the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, also accused the central government of adopting a soft attitude towards illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
“This way the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is assisting in foreign invasion over the country.”
On criminalisation of politics, Advani said several ministers in the cabinet of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are facing criminal charges. “This shows the government is having a soft corner for anti-social elements.”
Advani said his party will not give ticket to any person having criminal antecedents in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.