New Delhi: Stoutly opposing the move to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (Dec 9, 2004) said in Rajya Sabha that the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government by seeking to scrap the anti-terrorist law was making India a "soft state" and warned such a step could pave the way for dreaded terrorists getting away scot free.

Moving a statutory resolution disapproving the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) amending ordinance which replaced POTA, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said with terrorism continuing unabated in the country, passage of a Bill to soften anti-terrorist laws would hit the country's national security.

Citing the recent rise in terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam and the Maoist threat engulfing most of Central India, Joshi said diluting strong laws at this juncture would demoralise security forces and send wrong signals across the world.

Another senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley accused the Government of adopting a "callous attitude" towards security concerns of the country and said measures to soften stringent laws were being pursued for vote bank politics.

Asserting repeal of the Bill would seriously compromise security of the country, he said it would give the impression the world over that India was a "soft state".