By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Urging all political parties to join hands to fight terrorism, All India Anti-Terrorist Front secretary M.S. Bitta said here Tuesday that not hanging Afzal Guru, convicted for his role in the 2001 parliament attack, was only emboldening terrorists.
“Not hanging Afzal has sent wrong signals and the terrorists have become emboldened to strike with more ferocity,” Bitta told mediapersons.
A mercy petition from Afzal, sentenced to death, has been pending before the president.
Bitta said time has come to answer terrorists in their own language but it was petty politics that was coming in the way.
As happened in Punjab, which was in the grip of terrorism in the 1980s, all political parties should come on a common platform and declare a war against terror for one year, he said.
He also called for increased vigilance and tight security in border areas.
“I came to Ahmedabad from Surat Monday evening. I was impressed by the bravery of the people of Surat and Ahmedabad,” exclaimed Bitta.
On Saturday evening, Ahmedabad was ripped apart by 21 bombings that claimed at least 50 lives. Between Sunday and Tuesday evening, at least 23 bombs and two cars loaded with explosive materials were found abandoned in Surat.