New Delhi: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) on November 6 took strong exception to the statement by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed that the state Assembly will review POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) if necessary and sought to know Congress' stand on it since it (a review) negated the accord that Indira Gandhi signed with Sheikh Abdullah and the Constitutional Order enacted by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.

Pointing out that the sate government had "absolutely no right in the matter of legislating or to repeal of law which deals with terrorism and sovereignty of India," BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley told reporters in New Delhi that it was "unambiguously clear in the Constitutional position. The recent political history of Jammu and Kashmir and its Constitutional integration with India conclusively establishes this."

He said it was "curious" that the Chief Minister has been repeating these statements and he must realize that terrorism is not fought through rhetoric and speeches. It has to be tackled by a comprehensive strategy at which the Central government has been working."

Warning that these kinds of statements from the Chief Minister would only send signals that the state government "was being soft on terrorism", he said this was disturbing since the people of the state have voted against terrorism and expect the state government to cooperate with the national effort for a final assault on terrorism.

He said state government and the Assembly have "absolutely no jurisdiction and it is incumbent upon every state to implement anti-terrorist law and only Parliament has the right to enact or repeal the law."

PTI