Modi talks tough on terror, says UN risks relevance

Brussels, March 31 The United Nations is risking its relevance in the absence of a strong and structured response to terrorism, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned.

In an address to Indian diaspora in Belgium on Wednesday night, Modi regretted that the world had not come up with a proportionate response to terror despite the huge threat it posed to humanity.

"The world has failed to understand the threat of this hideous monster," he told the euphoric Indian crowd at the Brussels Expo here, finding fault with countries which differentiated between "good terrorism" and "bad terrorism".

Modi explained how how India had been battling terrorism for the last 40 years. "When we raised our concern, we were told it is a mere law and order problem -- until 9/11 happened.

"And when the earth shook beneath their feet, they began to understand what terrorism is," he said, speaking days after terror attacks in the Belgian capital killed more than 30 people, including an Indian techie.

He, however, said that the UN had not been able to fully understand this "new challenge of the new era".

"The United Nations knows everything about a war and how to stop it. But if you ask about terrorism, even the UN doesn't know. The world body of such a grand stature has failed to perform its responsibility," he said.

He said that India had been requesting the UN for years to come up with a resolution that defines "who a terrorist is and which country is a terrorist nation".

"I don't know when this will happen but the way situations are changing, it won't be too late when this organisation will become irrelevant."

He said India had never bowed to terrorism and will never do so and offered "deepest" condolences for the March 22 Brussels terror bombings.

He recalled the global Sufi conference held recently in New Delhi where scholars from the Muslim world denounced terrorism. 

He said this approach was essential to stop radicalization and a right atmosphere had to be created to end terror.

He said he had spoken to many world leaders and emphasized "the need to delink religion from terror".

"No religion teaches terrorism," he said as he wound up his busy Belgian trip. Modi has left for Washington and will later fly to Saudi Arabia.