Author: Shahid K Abbas in New Delhi
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: December 18, 2002
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/dec/18shahid.htm
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday
described Bangladesh as an "emerging terrorist State along with Pakistan",
and urged the United States to attack Pakistan instead of Iraq.
BJP spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra
said, "Terrorists and ISI agents have set up their bases in Bangladesh
to carry out disruptive activities in India."
He also described US Ambassador
Robert Blackwill's assurances given to India on fighting terrorism as "rhetorical
talk without any element of seriousness".
"This double speaking approach of
the US is lamentable," he said. Asserting that the US should deal with
both Pakistan and Bangladesh with a firm hand, Malhotra said the death
sentence given to the convicted persons in Parliament attack case was "historical".
"The capital punishment to the three
accused would create terror among the terrorists," he said.
Welcoming the quick completion of
the trial, Malhotra, who recalled that Mumbai bomb blast cases were still
pending in courts for over a decade now, urged the Congress party to take
a lesson from this swift completion of the proceedings and drop their opposition
to Prevention of Terrorism Act.
He also criticised the release of
Maulana Mahmood Azhar in Pakistan and underworld don Anees Ibrahim in Dubai.
Azhar is an accused in the Parliament attack case.
But Malhotra parried questions on
why the releases should not be construed as diplomatic failure on part
of India.
"The government is still trying
to get them extradited," he said.
