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No amendments proposed on POTO: Opposition

Voicing strong reservations against the anti-terrorism ordinance at a meeting of Home Ministry's Consultative Committee, opposition parties on Friday said the government had failed to come up with any amendment to the proposed law, but agreed to meet again on Monday to discuss the issue.

Terming the 90-minute meeting as inconclusive, Bharatiya Janata Party member Madan Lal Khurana indicated that the government could consider dropping certain controversial provisions from the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance to protect the freedom of the press.

Talking to reporters, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Somnath Chatterjee termed as an "eye-wash" the meeting convened by Home Minister L K Advani to forge a consensus on POTO, and said the government had suggested no amendments.

Avtar Singh Bhadana (Congress) said his party would stick to its position and oppose POTO in Parliament.

The opposition members were of the view that the government should have consulted the political parties before deciding to promulgate the ordinance.

Minister of State for Home I D Swami told reporters that the opposition MPs had agreed that there should be a law to fight terrorism.

Swami said the opposition members wanted more time to suggest specific changes in the proposed law.

Advani told the meeting that conviction rate under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, which lapsed in 1995, was low, as mobile phone and other intercepts were not permitted as evidence in courts, according to official sources.

PTI

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No amendment proposed on POTO: Opposition