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| PM in Assam, says not soft on terror | | | AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, Nov 1: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited Assam's main city of Guwahati on Saturday to review the situation following serial blasts that left 81 people dead and over 400 injured.
Talking to media persons after visiting the blast sites, Manmohan Singh extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the blast victims. Defending the government, the PM said that, "UPA is not soft on terror."
He gave assurance that strict action would be taken against those found guilty. "We will take strict action against the culprits behind such incidents and if any other country is found to be involved then the government will take up the matter with them," he said without naming Bangladesh.
The PM however declined to comment on the status of investigation. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi also visited the blasts victims at a hospital here amidst a state-wide bandh called by the BJP, AASU and several other organizations.
After arriving at the Lokopriyo Gopinath International Airport where they were received by Governor S C Mathur and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi they drove to the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital to meet the injured in the serial blasts.
There was tight security around the hospital and media persons were not allowed to enter.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also expressed his government's firm resolve to fight terror and assured assistance to Assam government to deal with the menace.
Addressing a high-level meeting attended by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, cabinet ministers and senior government officials at the airport here at the end of his day-long trip to Assam after the serial blasts, Singh said all help will be provided to the state government.
Assuring the Centre's help and support to the state government 'in this hour of crisis' he expressed his government's firm resolve to fight terror and ensure security to the people.
Singh also reviewed law and order in the aftermath of the blasts on Thursday.
The PM's visit to Assam comes a day after a local news channel said that it was contacted by an unknown terror outfit named Islamic Security Force, which claimed responsibility of the blasts along with the notorious Indian Mujahideen (IM).
Zaheer Hussain, the Managing Editor of News Live, a local Assamese channel, said that the claim was made by the terrorist outfit in an SMS sent to them.
The police yesterday picked up a person named Zulfiquar Ali from Nagaon for alleged involvement in the blast. His vehicle was supposed to have been used in the blasts.
The scale and planning behind the blasts have led the police to suspect local militants joining hands with terrorist outfits to carry out the coordinated strikes.
A team of NSG experts from New Delhi visited the blast sites at Ganeshguri, the Deputy Commissioner's Office and Fancy Bazaar to make an on-the-spot assessment of terror strikes that left over 450 wounded. ULFA denied any hand in the blasts.
"We are not taking seriously the denial by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-of being responsible for the blasts) because on earlier occasions also they have done so", a top Assam police official said. The ULFA cadres are being trained by the Jehadi militants and there is definitely a link between the two which is being investigated, he said.
The Assam police has constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe Thursday's serial blasts in the state that has claimed 81 lives.
The team is headed by R Chandranathan (IGP), Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IGP (law and order) said here.
He said vital clues have been gathered from the blast site and three persons suspected to be involved in the incidents have been arrested.
Mahanta also said that one witness Pradip Konwar who was present during the blast at Ganeshguri will be questioned.
The police has also appealed to the public to cooperate so that the identity of the culprits could be revealed. |
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