BJP plays POTA card, calls for state anti-terror laws

CRIME CONTROL? Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Law was passed by the Gujarat Assembly in 2004.

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26/11: Terror comes precariously close

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13 May, 2008: Seven blasts tear through crowed market places in Jaipur, leaves 68 dead and more then 150 injured.

25 July, 2008: Eight coordinated blasts rock the country's IT capital, Bangalore, leaving a woman dead and more than 20 injured.

26 July, 2008: Seventeen blasts rip through Ahmedabad leaving 45 dead and over 100 injured.

These serial blasts have once again brought into sharp focus the need for judicial mechanism to deal with terror. It's a demand that has been raised for a long time by the BJP and post the terror attacks the party reiterated the return of POTA at the Centre.

“Ordinary laws are inadequate to deal with terrorism. We need more stringent laws,” BJP leader LK Advani said.

The Opposition camp is also demanding the clearance for state anti-terror laws like the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Law (GUJCOC) and Rajasthan Control of Organised Crime (RAJCOC), which it thinks will empower the states to deal with such incidents.

“The Central Government should pass the RAJCOC soon. It will enable us to deal with terrorism better,” Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje said.

So what are these laws? Take Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Law. It was passed by the Gujarat Assembly in 2004 and seeks the setting up of special courts to deal with cases in a time bound manner. It also talks of stringent punishment and immediate arrests can be made under this law.

Similarly, the Rajasthan Assembly passed Rajasthan Control of Organised Crime in 2006, but it is pending presidential approval for the last two years.

RAJCOC has been modeled along the lines of GUJCOC and MCOCA, which can hold suspects in jail without trial for longer periods.

While the blame game continues security experts say anti-terror laws are not the answer. What the country needs is better intelligence gathering, policing and coordination between the Centre and states to deal with such terror attacks.

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