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Advani says Pak is jealous of India's successes

Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Tuesday charged Pakistan-based terrorist groups -- Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba -- with carrying out Thursday's attack on Parliament and declared the government's resolve to stamp out terrorism from the country.

Making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha, Advani said the attack was aimed at wiping out the entire political leadership of the country which could have led to a national catastrophe.

"It is now evident that the terrorist assault on Parliament House was executed jointly by Pak-based terrorist outfits, namely Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. These two organisations are known to derive their support and patronage from Pakistan's ISI," the home minister said.

"Last week's attack on Parliament is undoubtedly the most audacious, and also the most alarming act of terrorism in the nearly two-decade-long history of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India," Advani said.

"Naturally, it is time for all of us in this august House, and all of us in the country, to ponder why the terrorists and their backers tried to raise the stakes so high, particularly at a time when Pakistan is claiming to be part of the international coalition against terrorism.

"The only answer that satisfactorily addresses this query is that Pakistan -- itself a product of the indefensible two-nation theory, itself a theocratic state with an extremely tenuous tradition of democracy -- is unable to reconcile itself with the reality of a secular, democratic, self-confident and steadily progressing India, whose standing in the international community is getting inexorably higher with the passage of time," Advani said.

Recalling Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's address to the nation on December 13 when he declared that the fight against terrorism has reached a decisive phase, Advani said the supreme sacrifice made by the security personnel who lost their lives in this incident "will not be allowed to go in vain."

The home minister said: "Those behind the attack on Parliament House should know that the Indian people are united and determined to stamp out terrorism from the country."

PTI

Complete Coverage: The Attack on Parliament

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