In the coming months, the crux of the BJP’s internal security offensive against the UPA will contain the following points: the Manmohan Singh government is soft on terror, it is not taking note of infiltration from Bangladesh and Nepal now that fencing on the West is paying off, it has not brought in a strong anti-terror law, it has not been able to work out terror cases quickly, and apart from failing in Jammu and Kashmir, it has been unsuccessful in dealing with Ulfa and the Maoists. In short, the management of internal security is the UPA’s “largest single failure”.

LINING UP THE AMMO

BJP says UPA has failed on internal security because:

• There is “virtually no reference” to it in the CMP

• Internal security is tackled on vote-bank considerations

• Rather than healing touch in J&K, the coalition partners are “at war”

• Even the intelligence chief is forced to ask for tougher laws

• Government slow to react to growing strength and militarisation of Maoists

• Slow investigations a result of government treating it as non priority

According to BJP, government does not recognise:

• Indigenisation of terror, and the spreading network of terror

• Illegal immigration from Nepal and Bangladesh and the fact that terrorists could mix with local population

• Need to have stronger law after POTA has gone