The Centre is�exploring the possibility of�amending�the controversial Prevention of Terrorism�Act,�but wants the opposition�to�initiate the move,�according to sources.

The government is under�severe pressure on the alleged misuse of the draconian law against political opponents. Not only the opposition, but also sections of the National Democratic Alliance and even�the Bharatiya Janata Party are upset with this misuse.

The opposition�staged�noisy walkouts�in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and�the Lok Sabha on Thursday.�Following this, Union Minister of State for Home Harin Pathak�told the Lower House�that the government has sought details�from�various state governments of�the arrests�made by their police forces under the law.

Samajwadi Party member Ramjilal Suman raised the matter in the Lok Sabha�during�zero hour. He�said�Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani�had admitted in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that POTA had been misused in some�cases.

Suman recalled the manner in which the NDA government had convened a special joint session of Parliament to pass the controversial law. At that time, he said, Advani had repeatedly assured�members that it�would never be misused.

Somnath Chatterjee, leader of the Communist Party of India, Marxist,�in Parliament,�said�his fears of misuse of the law had proved correct.

Reading out a report in a national daily that a 12-year-old child and an 81-year-old man are among the 200 persons arrested so far under POTA in the NDA-ruled state of Jharkhand, Chatterjee said that if people could be arrested for possessing�the Red Book and the Communist Manifesto, he [Chatterjee] too ought to be behind bars.

Congress chief spokesman S�Jaipal Reddy said, "If the law cannot be ended, it should be at least amended."

Palani Manikam of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam�asked Defence Minister George Fernandes in his�capacity as convener of the�NDA�if he agreed with Marumalarchi DMK leader Vaiko's arrest under POTA. The DMK and MDMK are both constituents of the NDA.

Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters that if�members had any suggestion to make, the government was willing to convene an all-party meeting on the subject.

BJP spokesman Vijay�Malhotra�said�his party would welcome�suggestions for amendments�to POTA that do not dilute its provisions against terrorists. He said the law ought not to be applied to ordinary criminals. He added that the BJP could�request the government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue.