Advani lambasted the UPA Government for its failure to investigate, prosecute and punish the guilty in numerous terrorist attacks, including those in Delhi, Jammu, Ayodhya, Bangalore (2005), Varanasi, Mumbai, Malegaon (2006), Hyderabad (2007) and Rampur (2008).

“Evidently, terrorist outfits have come to believe that they have nothing to fear as long as the UPA is in office at the Centre,” Advani told reporters.

Referring to the serial blasts in Jaipur, he said the fight against terrorism was a national issue, and the role and responsibility of the Central Government in dealing with this menace was much more than that of any state government.

The objective of the attack “on a temple on Tuesday and a mosque on Friday” was to strike terror and create tension leading to riots if possible. “I am happy to say that the response of the common man (in Jaipur) has been very positive,” said Advani, appreciating the Rajasthan Government’s efforts to maintain peace and provide relief to people after the serial blasts.

Advani accused the UPA Government of repealing POTA under “vote bank considerations”. “Withdrawal of POTA has done immense harm by not only impairing the capacity of law-enforcing agencies and demoralising them but also, more sinisterly, by sending a wrong message to the terrorists about our national resolve to fight and finish them,” said Advani who was flanked by Raje and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh at the press conference here. The attitude of the people towards terrorism should be of zero tolerance, he added.

At a separate press conference earlier, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said terrorists had tried to create communal tension but “our people foiled the plan”.

The CM denied there was any specific intelligence warning by the Centre ahead of the serial blasts. “Whatever the Central Government communicates is completely non-specific and general,” she said.