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Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Friday told the Lok Sabha that the government would have to triumph over terrorism on its own without depending on external forces.
Replying to the debate in the House on the May 14 terrorist attack near Jammu, he said, "In what way we respond and in what way we tell the people, you will soon know. Government will certainly do its duty in this regard."
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would convene a meeting of opposition leaders before arriving at a decision, he said.
Vajpayee might address the nation to tell the people of the government's decision, the home minister said.
Advani regretted that the stand of the United States in the region had "enhanced the courage of our enemy".
"I told a US representative that it is regrettable that Pakistan has been encouraged by the US stand in the region," he said.
He said that the government was apprehensive the day Pakistan announced that it would join the US in the fight against terrorism.
Advani said Pakistan was well aware that since it could not win a conventional war against India, as had been proved in the 1965, 1971 and the Kargil conflict, it was resorting to a "proxy war" by sending infiltrators and encouraging cross-border terrorism.
"The military rule [of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf] did not recognise the strength of a democratic country like India," he told the House.
He commended the House for extending support to the government in its fight against terrorism.
Advani also pointed out that during the September 11 attack on the US, President George Bush had said that terrorism had declared a war on his country.
"Terrorism has declared a war on India since the last 20 years," the home minister said.
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