Government willing to revive POTA: Shivraj Patil

Zeenews BureauNew Delhi, Sept 16:

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, talks of whose resignation have been doing the rounds ever since Delhi was rocked by serial blasts on September 13, told in an interview to a news channel that the Government was willing to revive POTA or bring in a law like it if there was support for it in the Parliament. He said that POTA or a similar law can be considered in the Parliament, and if there was support of the members of Parliament it could be passed—it could be done even by moving a private members Bill. POTA was scrapped in September 2004, as the first major policy decision of the UPA Government. On his continuing as the Home Minister, despite severe pressure from all quarters, Shivraj Patil said that he was not considering resignation since the Congress leadership was supporting him. He took exception to the criticism over his changing clothes thrice while appearing before the media on Saturday after the Delhi blasts and said, you criticise a person’s policies, not his clothes. Noting that there was no point staying on in the post if the leadership was not with him, Patil said, "I am not in much demand. I am here just because of them (leadership).” "I have no group either...It's only that the leadership supports me that I continue to stay here," he said. Responding to the criticism, he said, "I live in a clean, neat manner. If I don't get angry with the people. If I keep my cool when it is necessary to keep cool.... When such incidents happen, you find fault with me. And if they are doing it, do you expect me to reply to that kind of criticism". The Home Minister further said, "I will leave it to the people to judge. You judge yourself. Is this the correct way of criticising a politician....".

Your comment(s) on this article

The UPA government may be actively thinking of bringing back POTA to please Sonia Gandhi by booking Hindu activists under POTA to enable Christian missionaries to continue their conversion activities without challenge. - K.Venugopal - Mumbai

every indian have right for servivng whn this week home minister cnt gve surety to servive safely thn wht they are doing. Mr. Patil, jaiswal n shakeel ahamed are a group of terrorist suppoter they will vanish all the nationalists. They r worried abt the rights of bangladeshi, simi and other organisation who are anti india...... Until manmohan singh led govt will nt down till these terrorist organisations will work easily. - kartikay - noida

POTA IS THE ONLY LAW WHICH CAN CURB THE ACTIVITIES OF THE EXTRIMISTS OF ALL COMMUNITY. NO DOUGHT IS THAT, ANY ONE CAN AGITATE AGAINST THE INJUSTICE BY FOLLOWING THE WAY SHOWN BY MAHATMA GANDHI & BHARAT RATNA NELSON MANDELA - PRASANTA KUMAR - BHUBANESWAR