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'Intelligence reports are more like weather reports' R Prema | May 15, 2008 00:52 IST Last Updated: May 15, 2008 02:37 IST The series of bomb blasts in Jaipur have exposed United Progressive Alliance government's steps to curb terrorism in the country, according to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi [Images]. According to Modi, when terror attacks occur in states ruled by UPA's allies, the Union government expresses serious concern. However, in the case of states ruled by National Democratic Alliance partners, there is a usual knee-jerk reaction. 'The government has been urged many a time to strengthen legal provisions to fight terrorism. The existing law of POTA has been repealed without making adequate provisions to deal with terrorist threats. States have been rendered helpless without proper legal backing to deal with such situations. While many nations world over strengthened their anti-terror laws after the 9/11 incident, our country has taken retrograde steps by abolishing POTA,' Modi said. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader claimed the central government was 'sitting over the Gujarat Control of Organized Crime (GUJCOC) Bill' even though anti-terror laws like MCOCA existed in states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. 'At present, terrorism cases are tried under ordinary legal regime, which is inadequate to have a deterrent effect. Even Tuesday's incident will have to be tried only under ordinary laws. Terrorist activities being a closed network activity, unless an insider communication or confession is received, the present legal regime becomes ineffective in punishing the culprits. There is also need to make provisions that confessions made to senior police officers should be taken as evidence in such terrorism cases. On the whole, there is a need to have effective legal provisions to fight terrorist activities tooth and nail.' Modi also stressed on the need for modernisation of police and intelligence machinery for prompt action against terrorism. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||