Monday, May 1 2006 11:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Coimbatore: Accusing the Congress and Left parties of playing 'vote bank politics' and 'appeasing' the minorities by seeking the release of PDP leader Abdul Nasser Mahdhani, a prime accused in the serial bomb blast case here, senior BJP leader L K Advani yesterday (Apr 30, 2006) night said the country was not safe in the hands of Congress.

Passing a resolution seeking parole for Mahdhani in Kerala Assembly where Congress-led UDF was in power and CPIM-led LDF in the opposition, was a dangerous proposition and a clear case of electoral and votebank politics, he said addressing an election rally in the city, which witnessed the serial blasts that left 58 dead during his campaign visit in 1998.

Charging both Congress, which is ruling at the Centre and CPIM, which extends outside support, with joining as part of 'minority appeasement and votebank politics,' in Kerala, Advani said "This country is not safe in the hands of the Congress".

Referring to criticism in some quarters about the release of a terrorist in the Kandahar hijack episode, he said it was entirely a different matter. The release of the terrorist had a purpose behind it, which was human in nature.

"For, the Government had to see the safety and release of 166 passengers on board, which was totally human, "he said.

Dwelling upon terrorism, Advani said India had been facing terrorism for a long time, when no one talked about it, resulting in the loss over 60,000 lives since 1980 in Punjab, more than the lives lost in five battles the Country had seen. Though there were occasional blasts in the country, the two major cases of conspiracy were the serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 and Coimbatore in 1998, Advani said.

Stating that the US and European countries had no idea about the terrorism India was facing until Vajpayee addressed the US Congress, Advani said these nations realised the real face of terrorism after the attack on World Trade Centre.

They realised the need for special and harsh laws to combat terrorism and many countries framed laws, he said adding the then NDA Government, after studying various laws, also enacted POTA, to suit the requirements of the country.

However, the UPA government scrapped POTA, putting national security open to terrorist activites.

"He was trying to tell the people through his Bharat Suraksha Yatra about UPA's attitude and policies, like the minority appeasement, which were incapable of facing the threat posed by the terrorists," Advani said.

Ridiculing the style of functioning of the UPA government, the former deputy prime minister said "When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presses the accelerator, CPIM comes and presses the brakes. When Singh wanted to expand the airport, with the entry of more Airlines, CPIM is opposing it, resulting in planes hovering over the airport for hours," Advani said.

"He had challenged the Government to bring the bill to carve out Telangana and BJP would support it. However, CPIM had categorically opposed it saying that it was not a part of the common minimum programme," Advani said.