Press Statement issued by BJP National President
Shri Rajnath Singh

Bangalore – August 19, 2008

Terrorism and its economic dimension

The BJP has been sounding the alarm bells on terrorism ever since the UPA Government’s soft and weak-kneed approach to deal with terrorist activities became evident before the country. The UPA displayed its approach with the repeal of POTA and reached to the extent of demanding clemency for Afzal Guru who was found guilty of masterminding the attack on Parliament.

During the four years of UPA rule terrorists and anti-India forces have enjoyed an atmosphere conducive enough to galvanise its cadres and gain strength to strike India anywhere, anytime and at will.

The terrorists are working on a multi-pronged strategy to damage India not only politically and socially but also trying to dent its economy.

Anti-India forces like the ISI have pumped in large chunks of counterfeit currency worth billions of Rupees into India through Bangladesh and Nepal borders. According to recent estimates by a Government panel, fake currency worth 1 lakh 69 thousand crores Rupees are already in circulation.

Fake Indian currency notes have been recently confiscated by the Government in many parts of the country. The counterfeit currency notes were also found at the branches of the SBI which indicates the gravity and extent of this problem. These confiscations have pointed the finger towards a larger design of anti-India forces to unleash economic terrorism in India.

This money is being actively used to fund more than 5000 sleeper modules present in the country. Therefore the Central Government needs do its best to cut this supply of counterfeit currency.

BJP demands the Government to publish a white paper on circulation of fake currency in India.

The Government had introduced certain Confidence Building Measures with Pakistan hoping it would build a warm and cordial atmosphere between India and Pakistan. On the contrary these CBM’s have failed in containing terrorist activities in the country as the ISI and other anti-India forces have been actively involved in carrying out most of the terrorist attacks carried on Indian soil.

The BJP demands the Government to initiate aggressive diplomatic action against Pakistan and its intelligence agency the ISI.

Facing severe criticism from different quarters for its policy against terrorism, the UPA Government has now started making false claims to cover up its failure in protecting life and property of the people of India. The National Security Advisor Shri M K Narayanan recently claimed that the Intelligence Agencies of the country had unearthed nearly 800 sleeper modules in the country.But his claims were contended by the former Deputy National Security Advisor, Shri Satish Chandra, who questioned the authenticity of his claims and demanded concrete evidence from him.

BJP demands the Prime Minister to clarify this confusion over the NSA’s claims and issue a Statement over the present status of sleeper modules in the country.

Trouble in J&K, a byproduct of UPA policy

There is no denying the fact that the State of Jammu and Kashmir is burning due to myopic vision of the UPA Government which has failed to see beyond its vote bank politics.

The Congress led UPA Government’s track record is full of incidents when it crumbled under pressure from anti-national forces on the issues pertaining to culture and the country. It crumbled in 2006 when it was forced to withdraw the order of singing National Song ‘Vande-Mataram’ in schools.

When the Supreme Court of India delivered death sentence to Afzal Guru it was the Congress CM of Jammu & Kashmir who rushed to Rashtrapati Bhawan seeking clemency to Afjal Guru only to please certain separatist forces in Kashmir Valley.

And the latest addition in this series of incidents is the issue of land allotment to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB). When the situation was under control, the UPA Government buckled under the pressure of separatist forces and revoked the order of land allotment to SASB. It was a decision fraught with appeasement and conciliation.

Had the UPA Government shown courage and repudiated the demand of anti-India forces, the present crisis could have been averted.

But the UPA Government thought and acted otherwise creating a situation which led to a big communal divide in Jammu and Kashmir. Now the agitation over the issue has reached to a point where it could easily spread to other parts of the country.

It is surprising that inspite of intelligence reports that the ISI and anti-India forces were planning to vitiate the atmosphere of Jammu and Kashmir just before assembly elections, the UPA Government failed to prevent this ugly situation.

The UPA Government has messed up completely the whole issue by playing into the hands of separatist forces. Today the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is so grim that the anti India forces have not only managed to hoist the Pakistani Flag at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk on the Independence Day but also threatening to cross the LOC.

It is clear that the UPA Government is incompetent and incapable of upholding the dignity of our national symbols be it our National Song, our National Flag or maintaining the sanctity of our cultural symbols like Shri Amarnathji and Shriram Sethu.

I would like to draw the Election Commission’s attention towards certain political parties from Jammu and Kashmir which are openly taking anti India stands, demanding circulation of Pak currency in the State and trying to cross the LOC. If the BJP could be served notice by the EC for allegedly circulating a controversial CD during the UP Assembly elections which we never claimed was ours, then there should be atleast some action against all these parties which have turned grossly anti-national in their bid to appease separatist forces.

The Government should not play with the emotions of millions of devotees and immediately return the allotted land to the SASB to pacify the agitated devotees. The Prime Minister should take immediate initiative in bringing out a solution to the ongoing crisis in Jammu and Kashmir. By delaying the solution of the problem the Government is making the existing bad situation even worse.