Uttar Pradesh under terror attack

Nov 24:  Successive Blasts in three cities - Faizabad, Varanasi and Lucknow -took death toll of at least 16 people in which 12 killed at Varanasi and 4 at Faizabad including 4 lawyers and injuring above 80. None was killed in Lucknow.

Once again a failure attempt was made to crippled peace in the country. This time venue selected was the three cities – a sensitive, Faizabad; Hindu pilgrimage of Varanasi; and the capital city of Lucknow itself. Six serial blasts were struck within a short time span of 20 minutes leaving toll of 16 people and above 80 people injured.

The first three blasts occurred in Varanasi civil court and collectorate premises between 13:05 and 13:07 pm. Two successive blasts occurred in Faizabad district court around 13:12 and 13:15, closely followed by one at Lucknow at 13:32 which failed to kill or injure anyone.

Two live bombs were diffused if they had gone off, the toll might have gone higher.

The explosives used in the serial blasts at Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad were strapped on cycle handles in innocuous-looking bags that were designed to cause greatest injury with shrapnel hitting the abdomen area.

Experts said the explosives were of low intensity, created possibly with local material. Had it been RDX, casualties in these crowded courts would have been higher.

The Uttar Pradesh police on Friday night released sketches of three suspects believed to be behind the blasts in Lucknow and Faizabad courts.

Meanwhile state’s Chief Minister, Mayawati visited the wounded in the hospital at Varanasi.

Apart from Uttar Pradesh, security was put on high alert in several parts of the country including the Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad in the wake of the blasts on Friday.

Suspects behind the blasts

Sources said Bangladesh based Harkat ul-Jihad-i-Islami militant outfit could be behind the attacks.

Probable reason of blasts

The successive bomb blasts on Friday indicates that the terror attack was meticulously planned and executed with military precision. The attack came merely a week after the terrorists’ were assaulted at the court premises. The U.P. lawyers had refused to take cases for the terrorists, who were planning to abduct Rahul Gandhi and other congress leaders.

“It may be the revenge of the terrorists against lawyers’ assault on them.

Investigation will be made through this angle,” a Union Home Ministry official said.

U.P. Chief Minister, Mayawati was the first to blame Friday’s blasts as an intelligence failure and told newspersons in Lucknow that the Centre had not altered the state of a possible terror counterattack against lawyers.

The officials at the Centre, however, said the security agencies and state police have to always be on the alert, whether or not there is any specific intelligence. But they also acknowledged that even in a state of alert, it is humanly impossible to track explosive devices as the terrorists mostly chose to plant them on cycles, whose ownership cannot be traced in the absence of a number-plate.

Condemnation on blasts by politician

The BJP has decided to enforce the state-wide shutdown on Saturday in protest of the serial blast.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has condemned the serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh and sanctioned relief of Rs One lakh each for the kin of those killed. He condoled the loss of lives in the blasts and expressed concern for the injured.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has condemned the serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh, saying the "dastardly act" was intended to create panic and asked the state government to find out the culprits and deal with them sternly.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil described blasts as “at yet another attempt by anti-national elements to spread panic” and asserted that the government would continue to fight terrorism in a resolute manner.