Mumbai: India would continue to fight terrorism on its own and not seek help of those countries that sponsored it, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said on June 7.

Talking to reporters before emplaning on a 10-day tour of USA and UK, Advani said the fight against terrorism would have to be worldwide and added that he would talk to leaders of both the countries about nations that aided terrorism.

India, he said, would continue to deal sternly with terrorism as it had done on several occasions. He recalled the terrorist attack on Parliament and said the attack had been firmly repulsed by Indian security forces.

The Deputy Prime Minister said relations between India and USA had changed fundamentally since the end of the cold war. Both the countries had borne the brunt of terrorist attacks and the cordial relations between them would be used to promote world peace, he added.

During his 10-day visit abroad, Advani is expected to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair and senior ministers including Jack Straw and David Blunkett in UK. Advani is also slated to meet top leaders in USA and hold wide ranging talks on several issues besides fight against terrorism.

At the international airport in Mumbai on June 7 morning, he was seen off by Union Minister of state for Home Harin Pathak, Minister of state for Small Scale Industries C P Thakur and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Pramod Mahajan.

PTI