Cabinet Expresses Concerns Oover Assam Blasts; Uurges Patil to take steps

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Friday expressed serious concerns over the serial blasts in Assam, which left at least 77 dead and over 470 seriously injured. The Cabinet has also urged Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to take necessary steps to help improve the situation in the blasts- affected regions of the state. Meanwhile, Police have reportedly detained about a dozen people for questioning in connection with the serial bombings.

"The Cabinet expressed serious concerns over the incident and extended sympathy to the next of kin of those who lost their lives," Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters today.

He said that the Home Minister has been requested to take immediate necessary steps.

Shivraj Patil will visit Assam today to take the stock of the situation after serial blasts in the state.

Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, L K Advani, is also scheduled to visit the state later in the day.

A seven-member National Security Guard (NSG) team has already reached Guwahati to identify the explosives used in the blasts.

The Cabinet’s condemnation of the blasts comes a day after a series of high and low intensity blasts rocked Assam spreading havoc. According to reports, as many as 13 blasts took place on Thursday morning targeting the heavily crowded areas and commercial places in Guwahati and upper Assam.

State's Principal Secretary (Home) and official spokesman Subhas Das said 41 people died in Guwahati. Three others succumbed to their injuries in Barpeta taking the toll there to 15. The number of deaths in Kokrajhar remained at 21, he said.

The first of the 13 bombs, suspected to have been planted by Bangladesh-based HuJI members, went off at around 11.30 am under the Ganeshguri flyover near the high-security capital complex housing the Assembly building, followed by explosions at Paltan Bazar and Fancy Bazar here.

Around the same time, bombs also went off in crowded market places of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts in lower Assam.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that of the six blasts in Guwahati, RDX was used in two of the explosions. He further added that a special task force was being set up to unearth the conspiracy behind the blasts.

TV channels showed footage of extensive damage, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. The mangled remains of cars littered Guwahati's streets even as fire brigade personnel and rescue workers rushed in to control the flames.

The state has been put on red alert, with police carrying out combing operations at a number of places. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been promulgated in Guwahati following the blasts. Security along the Assam-Meghalaya boundary has been put on high alert while the Indo-Bangladesh border sealed as an alert was sounded across the north east region.

The police had to fire in the air to control an angry mob which resorted to stone pelting at Ganeshguri following the blast. A Zee News cameraman was critically injured in the violence and has been admitted to ICU in a local hospital.

The terror strike comes after the recent violence between BODO and minority community in the state.

It is believed that the bombs in Guwahati were placed in cars. In Kokrajhar, the explosives were suspected to have been planted in two-wheelers.

One blast went off just 100 metres from the residence of Gogoi. Another exploded in front of the Kamrup district Deputy Commissioner's office, sources said.

According to reports, most of the blasts took place in crowded market areas. The explosions occurred in a span of 15 minutes with the first one going off at around 11.30 am, triggering fires in many areas and leaving a trail of death and destruction.

The first blast in Guwahati occurred at a vegetable and fruit market at Ganeshguri near the flyover adjacent to the high security Secretariat and the Assembly. The blast caused a major fire in the area with smoke engulfing the entire market and nearby places.

The next blast occurred in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office injuring many and destroying several cars parked there, sources said.

The third explosion rocked areas near the police station of the busy Fancy Bazar, triggering panic among shoppers, many of whom were injured. The fourth blast took place at Pan Bazaar.

Shock & Numbness

Numbness and shock gave way to violent protests as blasts ripped through Assam.

Within minutes of the serial blasts, unruly mob took to the streets in the city and attacked fire-tenders, police and official vehicles.

Policemen who were busy evacuating the injured were finding it tough as the angry mob was posing hindrance by pelting stones.

They even targeted ambulances which were on the way to blast site and tried to set some of these vehicles on fire.
The Centre sanctioned a financial assistance of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the serial blasts that ripped through Assam claiming many lives and injuring several others.

The ex-gratia relief has been sanctioned from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, a PMO release said.

A sum of Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured in the blasts, it said.

Strongly condemning the serial blasts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government would take all possible steps to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"We will take all possible steps to maintain peace and bring the perpetrators of such acts to justice," he said in a message.

"I am confident that the people of India will rise unitedly against these attempts to disturb peace and harmony and to destroy our social fabric," the Prime Minister said.

"There is no place for violence in our society. At this moment all of us should stand united against divisive forces in the country," President Pratibha Patil said in a message.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today condemned the serial blasts and dubbed it as a mindless and heinous crime perpetuated by those who are inimical to the country.

"I am extremely distressed and saddened to know about the bomb blasts that rocked Guwahati today killing and injuring a number of innocent people.

Observing that such terrorist acts coinciding with the festive season were intended to disturb social harmony, Vice President Hamid Ansari urged all citizens to unite in combating this scourge.

Jehadi elements could be behind blasts: Police

The Assam police on Thursday said the needle of suspicion in the serial blasts is towards jehadi outfits, including Bangladesh-based HuJI.

"The needle of suspicion points to jehadi outfits who are behind subversive activities in the state," IGP (Special Branch) Khagen Sharma told agencies here.

The jehadi elements, including Bangladesh-based HUJI, could be working in groups or individually, the senior police official said the modus operandi pointed to their involvement.

"While investigation will go on, the police have been zeroing in on Islamic fundamentalist forces which of late have been active in the state and the region," he said.

The North East Frontier Railway today beefed up the security in the stations, trains and railway tracks following serial blasts in Assam.

"The security system which was already in place has been tightened. Coordination between the Government Railway Police and the RPF has been strengthened.



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