Modi asks Gujaratis to press for anti-terror act

Ahmedabad: "There cannot be any compromise with the forces of terror and every Gujarati should send an e-mail to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to pass the Gujarat Anti-Terror Bill, which is awaiting presidential assent," Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said yesterday.

Interacting via video conferencing yesterday with participants at the 2nd World Gujarati Conference in New Jersey, United States, Modi said: "The forces of terror deserve the response in the manner they act. We cannot allow the innocent citizens to become victims of terrorism. Unfortunately, the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Act [Gujcoc] Bill has not yet been passed by the Centre."

He said the Gujarat assembly had passed the Bill twice. It was sent for presidential nod on April 1, 2003. An amended version too was sent a second time. "Yet the bill is now lying in cold storage," Modi said.

He highlighted the achievements of his government on various fronts like education, human resource development and setting up of biogas units for poor families.

He invited Gujaratis to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit (investors meet) in 2009 and the state's golden jubilee fete in 2010 here.

The conference began Friday at the Raritan Centre in Edison, New Jersey, with colourful ceremonies and a keynote address by Columbia University Prof Jagdish Bhagwati.

With its large Gujarati population, the New Jersey celebrations were, however, overshadowed by the US State Department's reported move not to accept any request for visa from Modi following opposition from an organisation called Coalition Against Genocide (CAG).