HYDERABAD, India, 27 August 2007 — Andhra Pradesh Home Minister K. Jana Reddy yesterday said the state government was contemplating reviving a tough anti-terror law to curb terrorist activities in the state. He said that the state government would also consider appointing an expert committee to suggest measures for strengthening the security setup to checking the threat posed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of political parties that was called by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the home minister said that it was for the federal government to consider whether to bring back the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).
Jana Reddy said that the state had passed the Andhra Pradesh Control of Organized Crime Act (APCOCA) in 2001 for a period of three years. The act lapsed in 2004. He said that certain provisions of that act needed to be revised in view of the changing circumstances and the state government would consider re-enacting APCOCA with these amendments.
In the meantime, the government would take all measures to curb terrorist activities, he added. Several political parties had favored a CBI inquiry into the twin blasts that rocked Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat eatery in the city on Saturday night.
The minister said two political parties had suggested that a judicial probe be ordered into the incidents. However, he felt a judicial inquiry would not serve any purpose.
Jana Reddy said that some political leaders thought that a CBI inquiry would be more helpful as it is a national organization with an international network. Other leaders thought that the state police should continue with the investigation and share its findings with the Central Bureau of Investigation. “Which of the two type of inquiries is better will be decided by the state government in consultation with the central government,” he said.
Asked about the failure of the city police to act on alerts sounded by the Intelligence Bureau, he said that these were general alerts issued by the IB from time to time and they did not mention any specific threat to Hyderabad or Andhra Pradesh. These were countrywide alerts, not specifically directed at any city or state.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) yesterday asked the federal government and security agencies to “identify” the terrorist forces responsible for the Hyderabad blasts and take “pre-emptive steps” to stop them.
Condemning the two blasts, the CPI-M Politburo said the incident “underlines how certain terrorist groups are working to disrupt normal life and communal harmony.”
“The culprits responsible for this outrage must be caught and brought to book. Since Hyderabad had witnessed a bomb attack in a mosque recently, it is important that the government and the security agencies identify and take pre-emptive steps to suppress such elements,” a politburo statement said.
