Hyderabad: Terming terrorist attacks on Parliament and Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as 'assault on democracy', Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi on October 22 said the 'whole world must be united' to fight terrorism and protect democratic values and institutions.

"These attacks underscore that open, democratic countries are particularly vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Ironically, terrorists exploit the strengths of democracy, freedom of movement, access to public places and lack of curbs, turning them into weaknesses," Joshi said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 14th Commonwealth Parliamentary seminar in Hyderabad.

Referring to attack on Akshardham temple in Gujarat, the Speaker said, "This shows that terrorists are determined to attack temples of democracy and also temples in our country."

Cautioning the democratic countries to be vigilant about emerging threat of terrorism, he said there was a need to launch a united struggle to safeguard democratic values and institutions.

One of the sessions during the five-day seminar would deal with growing terrorist threat to Parliamentary democracy.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who also referred to the issue during his presentation, called for evolving a consensus across the world to tackle terrorism 'head-on, in a firm and decisive manner'.

"After September 11, the world has become, in many ways, a different place. Terrorism has become one of the most important items on everybody's agenda," Naidu said.

PTI