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Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
The co-ordination committee of the ruling National Democratic Alliance on Monday unanimously supported the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance, but also warned the government that it should take steps to remove apprehensions of its misuse against the press, political opponents and any specific community.
Briefing reporters on the outcome of the meeting, NDA convener and Union Defence Minister George Fernandes pointed out that Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Sharifuddin Shariq of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference recounted their experiences with laws like TADA [Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act] and MISA [Maintenance of Internal Security Act]. Both underscored that wrong use of such laws could cause hardships for the common people.
Fernandes, however, clarified that the date for the all-party meeting summoned by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on POTO had not yet been fixed. This meeting, he said, was to take into account various apprehensions expressed by some parties.
"If necessary, POTO will be amended," Fernandes told a reporter who asked about the likelihood of such an event.
He argued that POTO did not mean putting the cart before the horse because it was not concerned with individuals but the prevailing "extraordinary situation".
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