Fight communalism to fight terrorism: P Chidambaram

Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram on Thursday said fighting communalism is the first step to fighting terrorism.

With the BJP attacking the Centre for Varun Gandhi's detention under the National Security Act, Chidambaram said communalism was among the biggest threats before India today.

"You cannot fight terrorism if you cannot fight communalism. It is important to vanquish the communal agenda, if you wish to vanquish the terrorist agenda. Only a united people and a united country can fight terror. A country divided on religious lines cannot fight terror," the Home Minister said in a press conference in New Delhi.

He added: "A country divided on caste lines cannot fight terror. Therefore, we believe that it is the Congress party alone which has the capacity to fight terror at the head of the state."

And, after reports of threats to some of the country's leading politicians, Chidamabram said there is no reason for alarm.