JEDDAH, 5 November — The Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) is not meant to harass the minority Muslim community in India. Its one and only aim is to contain terror, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said here yesterday.

"I can assure my Muslim brethren, on behalf of the government, that there will not be any misuse of the law," he said. Shahnawaz was here on a private visit to perform Umrah and to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

When reminded about the misuse of a previous such law TADA, which was mainly used against Muslims, Shahnawaz, the only Muslim minister in the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, said: "It was the government of the co-called secular forces which misused TADA against Muslims, not the BJP government. And please don’t measure us by the same yardstick."

The POTO that was promulgated last month gives sweeping powers to state agencies to bring terrorists to book. It has been roundly criticized by opposition parties, Muslim leaders and human rights activists.

The youngest-ever Indian Cabinet minister said that some parties with vested interests were opposing the proposed law and were linking it to the forthcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

"But they won’t succeed, and the results of the elections will be shocking for them, not only due to the fact that the BJP will form the new government in UP, but also because it will win the elections with the active support of the Muslims. I’m sure 30-40 percent of Muslims will vote for us," the minister claimed. Justifying the ban on the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the minister said: "If the ban is ‘illegal’ and not on the basis of proof and evidence, SIMI should go to court or should appeal in the special tribunal, which hears such cases. Why are they not doing so?"

Speaking about the functioning of the Civil Aviation Ministry, Shahnawaz said: "We have initiated a cost-cutting drive to tide over the post-Sept. 11 crisis. Now there will be no more free rides for politicians and VIPs on state-owned Indian Airlines (IA) and Air-India (A-I)." The minister said he had ordered cancellation of 3,000 free passes on both airlines that were mostly given to ministers, politicians, diplomats, foreign travel writers and poets.

The complimentary passengers were allowed only when there was space on the flight. So it meant no additional cost for the airlines. But the minister said: "We are running a commercial business not a charity. If seats are available, it does not mean that they should be given free of cost to any one." Air-India has downsized its staff in 10 offices abroad. Shahnawaz said: "Since our international offices pay in dollars, this move has improved our finances considerably." He also said: "India’s national carrier has suffered only a five to six percent drop in business during the post-Sept. 11 anti-terror campaign, as against a global aviation business drop by 40 percent."

With a view to making aviation security more stringent, the government was considering the idea of bringing in legislation to arm the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) with more powers, said the minister. "A new enactment is under consideration for giving more powers to the BCAS and a decision on this will be taken soon. A draft of the legislation will be placed before the Cabinet as early as possible," he said.

"While security at about 20 airports has already been handed over to the CISF (Central Industrial Security Forces), Calcutta and Madras airports will also be handed over to the CISF soon," Shahnawaz said.

Shahanawaz also said that Air-India would be introducing a fleet of new aircraft on the Gulf sector soon. He said due to the US crisis A-I had withdrawn some aircraft from the European sector which would be put on this sector.

About the airline’s preparation for the forthcoming Haj, the minister said: "We have signed a contract with Saudi Arabian Airlines and it will carry 30,500 of our pilgrims. The rest of them will be carried by Air-India." He was also concerned about the poor services of the airline and its supporting agencies in the sector and said: "People have complained about some irregularities and I will look into the matter at length."