LUCKNOW: Terming the federal government's constant failure to tackle terrorism, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati yesterday sought the resignation of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in Delhi.
Speaking to journalists at her residence here, Mayawati said that federal government had failed miserably to halt the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and hence it was the moral responsibility of the UPA government to submit its resignation.
Apart from targeting the UPA government, Mayawati also blasted the previous Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. She said the way terrorist attacks have increased in the country during the past few years, not only the present Congress-led UPA government is responsible for it, but equally so the BJP-led NDA government which was in power earlier to the UPA regime.
"The negligent and irresponsible attitude of both the UPA and NDA governments toward the sensitive related issue like terrorism has been very disappointing," she said.
"In the present days, in the time of the UPA government, there have been several terrorist attacks, which have shocked the country and have caused loss of hundreds of human lives and damage to properties worth millions of rupees. But both the UPA and the earlier NDA governments, instead of taking strong measures, did nothing but indulged only in making statements and misguiding the people of the country," Mayawati said.
She added that it is due to this factor that people have lost complete faith and confidence in the Congress, BJP, all alliance parties and leaders.
Mayawati further pointed out that terrorist strikes took place during the NDA government's tenure too, when terrorists attacked Akshardam temple in Gujarat, and at the Red Fort and Indian Parliament.
"During the NDA regime, the situation was so critical that succumbing to terrorists' demand, the NDA government dispatched a senior BJP minister (a reference to Jaswant Singh) who accompanied the terrorists and released them at Kandahar in Afghanistan," she said.
The recent terror attacks in Mumbai have exposed the "carelessness" of the UPA government. To cover up its failures, the UPA government has sought the resignations of the federal home minister and some other ministers. But the UPA government should take the blame for its complete failure and accept moral responsibility.
The entire UPA government ministers should resign, so that the country can elect a new government which can be competent to take immediate steps for the security of its people, Mayawati stressed.
Mayawati also briefed the media on the decisions taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. She said that taking into consideration the terrorist attacks in the country, the Cabinet has taken several important decisions which include the recruitment of thousands of policemen.
Henceforth, all police stations in the state will be headed by an officer of the rank of an inspector. To tackle any incidents of terrorism, the present strength of commandos would be increased to 2,000.
Elaborating on the security aspects in the state, Mayawati said that in view of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, a decision has been taken to beef up security in the state.
She said that terrorist attacks are taking place as the country's borders are insecure, which is the prime reason and blamed the UPA government for the terror attacks in the country.
The second reason for the terrorist attacks is the constant failure of federal intelligence agencies. "Had the intelligence agencies given timely information, perhaps we would have never seen the Mumbai terror attacks," she concluded.
