POTA has become everybody’s favourite four-letter word in the wake of the continuing terror attacks. The BJP would have us believe that tough terror laws are all we need to end the madness. The Congress seems to think that the minorities are all pathologically, if not congenitally, opposed to law and order.
But did POTA work when it was in force?
Union science and technology minister Kapil Sibal mounts a stout defence of the Congress-led UPA government’s relunctance to bring back POTA, arguing that the law by itself was no defence against terror when the BJP-led NDA was in charge:
1. Between 1999 – 2004, while the NDA was in power, total civilian casualties from terrorist acts were 4,405 whereas between 2004 – 2008 (till September 11, 2008), these were 1,623.
2. Security force personnel killed on account of terrorist acts during the same period of the NDA dispensation were 2,590; during the UPA dispensation (till September 11, 2008), the number is 1,235.
3. With reference to Jammu & Kashmir, the number of incidents of violence peaked with 4,500 incidents in 2001 and reduced to 1,000 in 2008. The number of civilians killed peaked at 1,000 in 2002 – 2003 and is less than 100 today.
Read the full article: State of insecurity
Also read: CHURUMURI POLL: Should POTA be brought back?
churumuri 
POTA is useful if police and judicial reforms are undertaken as per the Supreme Court’s orders.
Unfortunately no political party is interested in the same.
The present system is nicely attuned to distributing favours, protecting the political class, increasing vote banks, and promoting incompetence.
The political class as a whole has a stake in the malfunctioning police and judicial systems.
Therefore this silly debate about whether or not POTA is useful or otherwise is a distraction from the real problem of the country.
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Ajit Doval, Ex IB boss, exposed the myth of Kapil Sibal’s data in a talk show hosted by Barkha Dutta.
POTA was in effect from Sep 2001 to Dec 2004. Death during this period was some 159. Much less than the period when POTA was not in effect whether during NDA, or UPA rule.
Arun Jaitley similarly exposed the myth that less than 1% was convicted by special law. This was because, some 65,000 was booked under anti-terror law by Chiman Bhai Patel- Guj CM.
But organized opposition to special law was NOT started during period of Chiman Bhai. It was started after Mumbai 1993 bomb blasts.
As Jaitley put to: Half data are being fed deliberately.
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Take another propaganda example: “how POTA was used by Narendra Modi against Muslims for Godhra”.
These people appealed to Lower court, High Court, even Supreme Court for their bail. Their bail was DENIED at all levels.
We, if believe in rule of law, shd stop this. We must stop running media trial.
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Let’s thank Musharaff. It was the only phase when terrorists crossing the border fell drastically. Ask the BSF people, they will tell you the truth.
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typical congie lie.POTA was enacted in 2001,a good two years after the NDA came to power.Ajit Doval(former IB director) gave the actual statistics in the programme ‘We the People’ on NDTV last Sunday.The number of people killed in blasts 3.5 years after POTA is half the number killed during these 4 years of secular rule.SIMI lawyer and congress leader,Salman Khurshid,could not couneter this fact and mumbled something about the changed ‘geopolitical’ scenario and Musharraf.The fact is that POTA(or stricter law) are supported by people like Doval,Raman,Kiran Bedi,who have actually fought crime/terror.People like Sibal or SAHMATis,SABRANGis are opposed to it.
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Monkey’s Hair has done it again! So going by the Bad Poet’s logic, Shivraj Patil is a 3X better HM than Oddvani:)
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article says: arguing that the law by itself was no defence against terror
So I might be naive here. But I dont understand statements like these. India has some of the finest laws when it comes to murder, robbery, kidnaps, rpae and molestation etc. Has it prevented people from committing murder, robbery, kidnaps or rapes.
When has a law ever been a defence against any crime? Laws exist to punish the guilty. Not to prevent a crime.
It sounds very sickening to hear Kapil Sibal make this arguement.
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Alok says: Unfortunately no political party is interested in the same.
Err, The BJP was worried about the terrorism problem. They enacted POTA to prevent the crime.
I am assuming that BJP is a political party :)
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SN:
The BJP can show all the concern it wants to by passing any number of loftily worded, densely printed resolutions condemning terrorism, but if it doesn’t translate into a commitment to reform the police and the judiciary (and actual reforms by their CMs on the ground), then it is so much hot air and waste paper.
For your information, terrorist acts are punishable under the IPC as well. A law like POTA makes the penalty harsher, and provides procedural ease for investigation and interrogation of suspects.
Think of POTA as a loaded gun. While you will trust a trained policeman or a reckless teenager with the task of using it to defend you?
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OH NO!!
Rediff’s champion spammer with over 2000 comments Tathagata Mukherjee is here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1I7ADBR&q=%22tathagata+Mukherjee%22+site%3Arediff.com&btnG=Search
And already 218 comments on Churumuri.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1I7ADBR&q=%22Tathagata%22+site%3Achurumuri.wordpress.com
Churumuri admin please keep an ambulance ready for yourself. Looks like this govt office employee is all set to attack your blog :)
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Take another propaganda example: “how property rights was used by Mamta Banerji and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya against Tatas for Nano factory”.
The Tatas appealed to everyone for a solution. A solution was DENIED at all levels.
We, if believe in rule of law, shd stop this. We must stop running media trial.
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After 9/11 USA enacted tough laws & created a new department (equivalent to a ministry in India) and as a result they have not had any terrorist incidents in the USA.
We the people of India too need security from terrorism. Is it too much to ask for?
If the government is capable of providing security with existing laws and existing agencies, well and good. If not, which is what we are seeing with all the bomb blasts, it is imperative that they consider improving the laws and improving the security agencies.
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We do not need any anti-terrorist laws. As it is very clear that Terrorists are only the Muslims, tell them to mind their ways and stop sheltering them or they and their kin will have to face the same fate as the Brahmins!
Few dos and don’t s like, the Muslims have lot of money so don’t get carried away if they pay you more. Never sell your property to any Muslim. Never let out your house to any Muslim. Never take any gift from any Muslim. If you know he is a Muslim avoid sitting next to him. Never buy any thing from a Muslim shop. Let us have a social boycott of that community till they set them self right and mend their ways.
If we Indians want the terrorists to disappear we have to fight united.
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I believe no politician/political party is interested in our safety. Tell me how may politicians or there kith & kin died in these bomb blasts. Its people like us who are fodder for terrorists.
POTA or KOTA we want our safety when we go out for shopping on Friday or Saturday evenings.
If NDA claims they are better than UPA it is a lie.
Kandahar, parliament attack.,akshardham attack etc happened during NDA.By succumbing to pressure of terror groups during Kandahar we showed how meek we are.
During UPA no need to list as I feel cong,commies are bigger threats to soverinity of this nation.
I personally feel Dec 13 2001 parliament attacked should have been little successful at least 200 Mustards would have been eliminated from India.
I say 200 bcos low attendence rate in LSabha & RSabha.
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Lalloo says Bajrang Dal must be banned (I’m not a supporter), but does he have the guts to say the same thing about SIMI.. NO… the a**holes are all playing Vote Bank politics….
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So if laws are ineffective to prevent the crime, where is the need for Indian Criminal Code??? Why cant we just repeal this and be happy? Going by Sibal’s logic, when there is no law the crime rate comes down. Correct???
We all know the CONgreess spin doctors go to any extent to defend themselves. But coming from a lawyer, this piece takes the cake!!!!
As a lawyer, does he not know that a law will never deter a criminal from carrying out his crime? Does he not know that the true purpose of law is to catch the criminal and execute the punishment?? Over a period of time, when such punishments become more common, deterrence will automatically creep in.
I was watching an old movie in UDAYA channel sometime back. This was probably a movie which came out some time in the early 60’s. Dont know the name of this movie but what caught my attention was a scene in which the village head is plotting to do something evil. His friend/advisor tells him not to do it since the punishment for what he is doing is death as per the law. And the village head rethinks on this because of the punishment.
This may just be a movie. But what it tells us is that in the initial period of our independence, people still feared law. They still had a fear for police. Thanks to the corrupt politicians who ensured that laws become ineffective, policing become biased, this fear is no longer a deterrant. People know, if they commit a crime, they can get away.
POTA had certain provisions which made getting bail impossible for the arrested. At the same time, it also had provisions where in the evidence submitted by the police were upto scrutiny by the court. Checks and balances were in place.
But what infuriated the CONgress party was that most of the people who were arrested under POTA were muslims. Not because they were muslims but it was they who carried out the terrorist activities. Now, how can the CONgress party see its vote bank rot in prison? Hence the repealing of this act and all the inane justifications it is providing.
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Why do we need any law? Every law is broken.
Why do we need police? They make false arrests every now and then.
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dharma,
Bahishkara haakbidthira saar? Old habits die hard eh?
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Alok says: While you will trust a trained policeman or a reckless teenager with the task of using it to defend you?
That is an altogether a different matter, outside the purview of POTA.
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POTA is required else INDIA will slip into the abyss as ANTI-NATIONAL forces are at work.
Congress Party has been responsible for creating crisis situations in Punjab,Assam,Nagaland,Kashmir and Sri Lanka.
Either they want the Country to deliberately get into this crisis for short term gains or long term losses.
They have ruled the Country for close to 45 years of the total 60, however they have not realized that meaning to keeping the Country in one piece.
This is their last chance else there is going to be mayhem and more citizens will loose their life everyday.
The country is known as a soft state will be known as a sponge state in future. You can squeeze it smaller because the ANTI NATIONAL forces are at helm in the centre.
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Must for Every Indian to read this article………..
The views of Patriotic Australian Prime Minister
India Needs A Leader Like This !
Prime Minister John Howard – Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques. Quote: ‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.’
‘This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom’ ‘We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!’
‘Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.’
‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.’ ‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, ‘THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.’
‘If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE. We didn’t force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.’
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, Indian citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.
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@dharma
Evidently you are in a distinctly hate-filled minority, as the majority of this country cheers for the Pathan brothers and Sania Mirza, works with and contracts with Azim Premji, watches the “Khan’s” movies by the bucketload, and hails the achievements of APJ Abdul Kalam in defence matters.
I think the rest of this country should boycott the likes of you and your cretinous ilk and wait till you reform yourselves.
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@dharma
The above lecture by the Australian minister is for the immigrants/refugees. How can we lecture in the same tone to our citizens.
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This Howard’s mail is becoming an increasingly common display tool for hate mongers. Blame it on chain mail.
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“”Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.’””
Now Communal Hindus living in Australia who want to expel Muslims and Christians from India have any answer for this??
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Naveen,
Read the speech properly before commenting.
Howard is not saying that everyone should convert to Christianity. All that he is asking is to respect the local culture and religion, no matter what faith you are following.
In case you missed out, here is the other part of his speech.
We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.’ ‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, ‘THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.’
Comments????
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naveen says: Communal Hindus
What is a communal hindu?
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>naveen says: Communal Hindus
>What is a communal hindu?
SN,
Muslims & Chirstians are also the same
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The second part of Howard’s speech, as mentioned by Chintaka makes perfect sense.
Tulunadu was the most secular place in South India. Thanks to the combined effort of BJP, VHP, Bajrangis & GSBs, the place has turned into a most communal one. It is this rowdy element of the society requires to be tamed. It is up to the people living there, to rise up and bring back normalcy.
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alok says think of pota as a loaded gun.
Yeah terrorism that has killed obviously innocent people and not suspects
(which POTA would be used against) needs a loaded gun and more, like
the encounter in Delhi that deters and prevents and also punishes.
ALOK does not understand that the only other alternative is an unloaded gun like a toy pistol which even the animals will laugh at,forget the
kill or be killed terrorists.Even a kid will know this.
I’d rather worry for the innocent victims rather than the perverts who worry for the suspects who could probably be the culprits,otherwise they would not be suspected.TH e police have better things to do.
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Jinnah during the Khilafat movement stated that all Muslims in India have to join him in creating Pakistan. The reasoning Jinnah gave was that in a majority Hindu Country the minority muslim voice will be stiffled.
We are the second largest commmunity supporting the Indian Nation, but we find ourselves in the cross roads.
We are neither wanted in India nor Pakistan.
In India Muslims are treated as terrorists, while in Pakistan Indian Muslims are treated as Traitors.
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Alok ravare- The names you mention are one in a million. But the terrorists from that community are a Pisa a Dozen. We give them place and honour them, but they ditch us! Put them where they belong.
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Howard’s speech is nothing but a crap.
He says “respect local language and culture”. 200 years back they hunted bushmen of australia and newzealand like animals. Where was that sanity than. let us go 5yrs back australia is a mail ally of US in Iraq war what about Iraq culture thousands of years old.
Today AUS is chrstian majority inshallah it may become isamic in few hundred years like indonesia, malaysia, Pak,bangala etc
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Chintaka, a comical breed of communist and commuNAList,
The ostrich buries its head in the sand when the truth turns ugly.
It is comical to see the confused Chintaka quoting a film from the sixties. And he actually wants us to believe a tough law prevented a man from committing a crime.
Hello, Chintaka, thats a story. A fiction. Here is the real truth.
What law prevented a suicide bomber from ramming his jeep into a five star hotel in Pakistan?
What law prevented a crazed human to crash the plane into the twin towers?
What law prevented an insane Dhanu from blowing herself up in front of Rajiv Gandhi?
POTA or no POTA. Terrorists who are bent on killing themselves care two hoots about tougher laws. There is no tougher punishment than death. Terrorists invite death on to themselves by their own suicide squads.
Terrosist activites should, of couse NOTbe tolerated. Zero tolerance is the word.
Which is why for every ONE Afzal Guru not hanged, congress ensured that, HUNDREDS of muslims who were convicted for the Mumbai blasts were sentenced very harshly by the courts.
The conviction rate of Muslims is very high in the bomb blasts case. Thanks to Congress. But the same Congress is being soft on the Hindus. Because the conviction rate of those implicated in the Mumbai riots case and Gujarat riots case are abysmally low.
Why does Congress have a soft spot for Hindus and a rather harsh tone for Muslims?
And the BJP is nothign but a B team of the Congress.
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http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hairsplitting-on-terror/366103/0
Hairsplitting on terror by Arun Jaitley.
It outlines why terror law is required in a brilliant way. It demolishes lots of propaganda as well.
Simple>>The conviction rate of Muslims is very high in the bomb blasts case.
99.99% caught, convicted for Mumbai terrorism are of a particular brand of Islamists- those who believe in Wahabism, Deobandi, Ale-E-Hadis. They are minority- not even 15% of Indian Muslims.
Time has come to expose this diabolical design of Wahabi/Deobandi Islamists to rouse Muslim sentiments. Fact remains, whether its Barelvis (traditional Muslims in India who are 80% of Muslim pop), or Shias, or Sufis- needless to mention majority, or Xtians- ALL ARE UNDER ATTACK FROM THESE JEHADI ISLAMISTS.
***
So much so, even in a heritage city of Lucknow, Shias are unable to take out Tajia in commomoration of martyrdom of Hasan and Hussain for last few decades. WHY? WHY CAN’T SHIITES TAKE OUT MUHARUM PROCESSION IN A CITY WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT TO SHIITES OUTSIDE IRAN?
Its NOT RSS, or Bagrangis who oppose that. Its the Wahabis, Deobandis.
Why can’t Ahmadiyas (Noble Award winning Physicist Abdus Salam belonged to Ahmadiya faith) celebrate centenary to their religious leader in Hyderabad?
Its NOT RSS, BJP who opposed that. Its Deobandi, Wahabis who stopped that celebration.
TIME HAS COME TO EXPOSE THE DIABOLICAL AGENDA OF WAHABIS/DEOBANDIS/ALE HADIS THAT MUSLIMS ARE UNDER ATTACK.
Its they who are under attack.
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Simple, before answering your diatribe, let me tell you this. You remind me of my old friend WrongFact, who used to be a regular here sometime back. After taunting him about his name, he vanished and reappeared in some other name. You remind me of him because your opening line are the same what he used to start his postings with!!! May be you are him, in a new name…the last few lines supporting CONgress is surely a give away!!!
Whatever…
They say movies reflect the present society. If this is not completely true, it is true atleast partially. My grand mother, before she passed away, used to say always that people of today have no regard for law. She may be wrong, she may be right. But fact remains, the ineffective implementation of law is surely emboldening the crooked to be more boisterous, more bold and more open in their crimes.
You quote terrorists… you quote people like Dhanu… you quote the twin tower bombers… fair enough, having tough laws will not prevent the attacks. So??? Should we not have laws at all?? What an inane argument???
Right from the mafia madam to her son to the chaprasi at the CONgress bhavan, everyone is parroting the same lines. No POTA like law is required. What a Blah…
Take Afzal Guru.. he has been punished. But what happened to the punishment??? Take Bombay Blasts case…. courts pronounced judgement after 13 long years… do you even remember Varnasi Blasts, Jammu Blasts, Akshardhaam Blasts, Hyderabad Blasts, Delhi Blasts 1 & 2, Ahmedabad Blasts, Jaipur Blasts…phew.. quite an achievement for CONgress…
Take for instance today’s news… Jamia wants to defend the terrorists arrested and CONgress minister Arjun Singh, supports it. And the human rights commission issued a notice to police for killing the bloody terrorists…
At a time, when all of us should be applauding the efforts of the police and supporting them, imagine what these two happenings will have on their morale!!!!!
By the way, WRONGFACT still suits you.. you never got it right then, you are not getting it now.. I dont think you will ever…
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