Editing Atal Bihari Vajpayee (section)

==== 2001 attack on Parliament ====
{{Main|2001 Indian Parliament attack}}
On 13 December 2001, a group of masked, armed men with fake IDs stormed [[Old Parliament House (India)|Parliament House]] in Delhi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/parliament-attack-afzal-guru-hanging-all-that-happened-in-16-years-1106199-2017-12-13|title=Parliament attack: From 5 terrorists storming in to Afzal Guru hanging, all that happened in 16 years|website=India Today|date=13 December 2017 |access-date=17 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112023820/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/parliament-attack-afzal-guru-hanging-all-that-happened-in-16-years-1106199-2017-12-13|archive-date=12 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The terrorists managed to kill several security guards, but the building was sealed off swiftly and security forces cornered and killed the men who were later proven to be Pakistan nationals.{{sfn|J. N. Dixit|2003|p=}} Vajpayee ordered Indian troops to mobilise for war, leading to an estimated 500,000<ref name="ParliamentAttackBrinkWar">{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Parliament-attack-had-brought-India-Pak-on-brink-of-another-war/articleshow/18424134.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |title=Parliament attack had brought India, Pak on brink of another war |access-date=17 August 2018 |date=10 February 2013 |author=Times News Network (TNN) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212085505/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Parliament-attack-had-brought-India-Pak-on-brink-of-another-war/articleshow/18424134.cms |archive-date=12 February 2013 |url-status=live  }}</ref> to 750,000<ref name="BBC_2002">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/2335599.stm |title=Pakistan to withdraw front-line troops |date=17 October 2002 |work=BBC News |access-date=17 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714093545/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/2335599.stm |archive-date=14 July 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Indian soldiers positioned along the international border between India and Pakistan under Operation Parakram. Pakistan responded by mobilising its own troops along the border leading to the [[2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff|2001-2002 military standoff]].<ref name="ParliamentAttackBrinkWar" /> A terrorist attack on an army garrison in Kashmir in May 2002 further escalated the situation. As the threat of war between two nuclear capable countries and the consequent possibility of a nuclear exchange loomed large, international diplomatic mediation focused on defusing the situation.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Coll |first=Steve |date=13 February 2006 |title=The Stand-off |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/02/13/the-stand-off |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=17 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724140934/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/02/13/the-stand-off |archive-date=24 July 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref> In October 2002, both India and Pakistan announced that they would withdraw their troops from the border.<ref name="BBC_2002" />

The Vajpayee administration brought in the [[Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002|Prevention of Terrorism Act]] in 2002. The act was aimed at curbing terrorist threats by strengthening powers of government authorities to investigate and act against suspects.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Venkatesan |first=V. |title=POTA under challenge |url=https://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2003/stories/20030214004102600.htm |magazine=Frontline |volume=20 |issue=3, 1–14 February 2003 |access-date=17 August 2018 }}{{dead link|date=May 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3666716.stm |title=Analysis: The problems with Pota |last=Singh |first=Jyotsna |date=17 September 2004 |work=BBC News |access-date=17 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817225639/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3666716.stm |archive-date=17 August 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref> It was passed in a joint session of the parliament, amidst concerns that the law would be misused.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Venkatesan |first=V. |title=The POTA passage |url=https://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1908/19081020.htm |magazine=Frontline |volume=19 |issue=8, 13–26 April 2002 |access-date=17 August 2018 }}{{dead link|date=May 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Another political disaster hit his government between December 2001 and March 2002 with the VHP and the Government engaging in a major standoff in [[Ayodhya]] over the [[Ram Janmabhoomi|Ram temple]]. On the 10th anniversary of the destruction of the [[Babri Masjid|Babri mosque]], the VHP wanted to perform a ''shila daan'', or a ceremony laying the foundation stone of the cherished temple at the disputed site.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/2002/03/15/stories/2002031506010100.htm |last=Mody |first=Anjaly |date=14 March 2002 |access-date=17 August 2018 |work=[[The Hindu]] |title=Security blanket over Ayodhya as VHP is firm on shila daan}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Thousands of VHP activists amassed and threatened to overrun the site and forcibly perform the ceremony.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/mar/15/india.lukeharding |last=Harding |first=Luke |title=Ayodhya fear: Hindus to defy ban and pray at site of ruined mosque |date=15 March 2002 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=17 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312062400/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/mar/15/india.lukeharding |archive-date=12 March 2017 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/02/27/ayodhya.background/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=17 August 2018 |title=Ayodhya: India's religious flashpoint |date=28 February 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124042754/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/02/27/ayodhya.background/index.html |archive-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref> A threat of communal violence and breakdown of law and order owing to the defiance of the government by a religious organisation hung over the nation. The incident, however, ended peacefully with a symbolic handover of a stone at a different location 1&nbsp;km away from the disputed site.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2002/03/16/stories/2002031606010100.htm |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=15 March 2002 |last=Mody |first=Anjaly |title=Central emissary receives 'shila'; Ayodhya breathes easy |access-date=17 August 2018}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>