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Terror thrives due to vote bank politics: Jaitley

July 14, 2011 20:55 IST

Senior Bhartiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Thursday slammed the Congress for its 'vote bank politics' which have plunged the country in increased terror attacks.

 "Wednesday's attacks in remind us that India is still on target of the terror elements. After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the United Progressive Alliance government had made tall claims for the country's security, but no concrete steps have been taken yet," he told a gathering of local BJP activists.

"The National Counter Terrorism Centre that was promised after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks have not been set up even after three years," he said.

He referred to repeated pointers by BJP patriarch Lal Krishna Advani that there has been no terror attacks in the United States after 9/11.

"It is because the US government took such concrete steps to make sure that such terrorist attacks don't happen again," he said.

Jaitley also blasted the government for engaging in talks with Pakistan even after the fact that the neighbouring country has not taken any action against terror elements operating from its soil.

"Pakistan claims to be a part of global war against terrorism, but it is a fact that the country was the epicentre of terrorism," he alleged.

A correspondent in New Delhi