Kolkata: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) President M Venkaiah Naidu today (July 11, 2004) expressed concern at the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government's proposed move to repeal POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) while alleging that terrorist activities in the country have intensified since installation of the new Government at the Centre.

''Terrorist activities have intensified since the UPA Government came to power. Unfortunately they are thinking of repealing POTA at a time when terrorist threat still looms large on the country,'' Naidu said.

Citing the recent terrorist strike on a security vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir and Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) plot to eliminate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he said ''Congress and the communists appear to have apprehensions about RSS but not about ISI''.

Regretting the proposal to repeal POTA, he said ''If required, they could amend the Act...if there is one lock up death, will you close the police station?''

He also criticised the controversy over killing of a Mumbai-based girl student along with three LeT terrorists in Ahmedabad last month, saying ''If she was innocent, why she accompanied the terrorists carrying AK-47?''

Naidu, who was speaking at a meeting at the historic Town Hall here to announce the party's week-long 'Rashtriya Surakha Swabhiman and Loktantra Bachao' programme from July six, accused the UPA Government of neglecting the terrorist threat to maintain their 'pseudo-secular' image.

Besides the issue of terrorism, the UPA Government was undertaking wrong policies in the economic front as well, the BJP president said.

Criticising the budget proposals on bringing some transport services under the service tax net and increasing excise duty on steel, he said ''These will have cascading effect. The inflation has already touched six per cent, which was never so during last few years''.

''This Government is adopting wrong policies and leading the country in wrong direction. Congress is also showing a fascist attitude, as was reflected in removal of four Governors,'' he said.

Naidu also criticised the move to re-write history books as per 'communist ideology'. ''The communists, who think themselves as masters of the Government, want to create new history. In the process, they belittle our own heroes. For instance, Sikh Guru Tej Bahadur Singh has been described as lootera while the Jath community was termed dacoits''.

Stating that the country's self-pride and democracy would be in peril in the hands of the UPA Government, he said BJP has therefore decided to launch a week-long programme from July six - the birthday of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee - with its slogans of 'development and Hindutva or Indianness'.