By IANS,
New Delhi : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Monday accused the Congress-led central government of playing politics with terrorism and demanded to know why the state’s proposed anti-terror bill was returned.
In June the central government suggested amendments to the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Act (GUJCOCA) that proposes to curb terrorism with tougher laws.
“I fail to understand why the central government should oppose provisions which are already part of the similar laws in Karnataka and Maharashtra,” Modi said as he spoke at an internal security meeting attended by chief ministers.
“We must draw a clear line” between those who support terrorism and “those who are on the side of society”, Modi said.
“Even the so-called liberal democracies and proclaimed upholders of human rights like the US, Canada, Australia have enacted laws having more stringent provisions than the proposed GUJCOC Act.”
Modi said the need for such legislation was not only for punishing the terrorists but also to prevent educated youth from being brainwashed into terror ideology.
The chief minister has been saying the amendments to the act would amount to taking away the “teeth and nails” of the proposed legislation.
The government returned the controversial GUJCOC Bill passed by the Gujarat assembly to the state, saying that without three key amendments it could not be sent to the President for assent.
One of the amendments being suggested to the state government is to drop a key provision — that confessions before a police officer will be admissible in court.