New Delhi: Calling for "decisive, tough and forceful action" against terrorists, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on February 10 said that Human Rights of terrorists could not override those of the victims.

"Even while demanding restraint and fairness from our police and security agencies, we should recognise that extraordinary circumstances call for effective responses," he told a two-day International Youth Conference on Terrorism.

"Human Rights of terrorists cannot override those of their victims, not only those hit by their actions, but also the generations which are denied normal life and economic progress by the prevalence of terrorism," the Prime Minister said.

Observing that Democracies were more vulnerable to terrorism since "our values inhibit effective anti-terrorist actions", Vajpayee said, "Today we have to reconcile ourselves to some infringement of our rights and freedoms so that we can counter the far more destructive threat from terrorism."

"We have to take decisive, tough and forceful action against terrorists, which is both punitive and deterrent," he added.

PTI