BJP today welcomed the Allahabad High Court verdict on the UP government withdrawing prosecution in terror cases without the Centre's permission, saying it was a strong rebuff to parties indulging in "appeasement politics".
The party said the High Court judgement, declaring that the UP government cannot withdraw prosecution in terror cases in which accused have been booked under central acts without the Centre's permission, will strengthen the fight against terrorism.
"We welcome the judgement of the Allahabad High Court. It will strengthen the fight against terrorism...This decision of the Court is definitely a strong rebuff to political parties indulging in appeasement politics," BJP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
He claimed that of late, the fight against terrorism had been weakened by "appeasement politics" of some political parties. "BJP will not allow the designs of such parties engaged in appeasement to succeed," he said.
Prasad also accused the Samajwadi Party government in UP of seeking withdrawal of cases against 19 persons accused of terror activities, including bomb blast cases, "without showing any concern for security of 19 crore people of Uttar Pradesh" and of rest of the country.
He said people understood the intentions of such political parties and will not allow them to succeed.
The High Court verdict, which came as a setback to the UP government, was given by the court's Lucknow bench of justices Devi Prasad Singh, Ajai Lamba and Ashok Pal Singh on questions raised by a two-judge division bench on a PIL.
The PIL had sought a direction for quashing the order of the UP government for withdrawal of cases against people accused of blasts and terror activities that included 2007 serial explosions at Lucknow and Gorakhpur.
"Prosecution under central acts cannot be withdrawn without permission of the central government," the three-judge bench said.
