Indian president green light to scrap law against terrorism

NEW DELHI: India’s president has given his permission for the scrapping of a controversial anti-terror law introduced after the September 11 attacks, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Tuesday.

PTI quoted unnamed official sources as saying President Abdul Kalam had approved a cabinet decision to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), adding that an announcement would be made “in due course”.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s cabinet decided on Friday to get rid of the law, which critics say has been abused by officials to settle personal scores. It was also blamed for the persecution of Muslims during sectarian rioting in Gujarat state in 2002, in which at least 2,000 people died.

POTA was brought into force by the former Hindu nationalist-led coalition government after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and an Islamic rebel raid on the Indian parliament three months later.

Singh’s Congress-led coalition promised to get rid of the law soon after its election victory in May. afp

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