Modi slams UPA govt on Kasab's statements

Attacking the UPA government for asking Pakistan to accept the statement of Ajmal Amir Kasab, lone terrorist caught alive for Mumbai attacks, as evidence, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said the country itself "does not have a similar provision under its laws".

"We tell Pakistan that Kasab has given the statement and consider this as evidence as everything has been done from Pakistan.

We tell US also that his statement should be considered as evidence," Modi said, while inaugurating the 19th All India Forensic Science Conference here.

"What if Pakistan and US both tell India that does your law have similar provision which accepts Kasab's statement as evidence? What can be more unfortunate?" he wondered.

"There is no law in our country that would consider the statement of an arrested person before a top-level police official as evidence," he added. "Despite the situation, we are trying to convince Pakistan to consider the statement as evidence.

This is very much contradictory," Modi said. "The abolished POTA had that provision, GUJCOC (Gujarat Control of Organised Crime) has the same provision and even MACOCA has the similar provision," he said, adding "We also need a similar law at the national level to fight terrorism."

"If one who has committed a crime makes a statement before a higher rank police official, it should be treated as evidence in the court of law," he added.

Referring to the recent amendment in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the formation of NIA (National Investigation Act), Modi claimed that the laws are not complete and they have many "loopholes".

"Because of the loopholes, terrorists like Kasab who has told the Mumbai police in detail about how and where the conspiracy was planned, cannot be considered as an evidence," he said.

According to him, the statement made by Kasab can only be considered as an evidence when appropriate changes are made in the law. "We have already put our suggestions before the central government and are awaiting their response," he added.

u00a0

u00a0