The Hindu : National : No brakes on peace process: Centre

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Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006

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National

No brakes on peace process: Centre

Special Correspondent

Grenade attacks reprehensible: Duggal

NEW DELHI: Strongly condemning Tuesday's serial grenade attacks in Srinagar, in which seven persons died and 31were injured, the Centre on Tuesday said the peace process with Pakistan would neither be slowed nor halted because of such attacks.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Home Secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal said grenade attacks on the "softest of the soft targets" like innocent tourists were most reprehensible, cowardly and should be condemned by all in strongest possible terms.

To a question on the spurt in grenade attacks in the Kashmir valley, particularly on tourists from West Bengal and Gujarat, Mr. Duggal said a "group of local criminals or adventurists" could be behind such attacks. He said the Home Ministry was in constant touch with the Jammu and Kashmir police and "we are confident that the State police already have some leads and culprits will be nabbed soon." Nobody has claimed responsibility for the grenade attacks so far.

The Home Secretary said supply equipment, communication system, funding, launching of attacks and the entire support structure for terrorism were still intact across the border in Pakistan.

He added that there was no rethink on the ongoing peace process.

Building bridges

Recalling that militant attacks had declined since 1992, he said building bridges was having an impact on the people. To a question on whether New Delhi would have a relook at the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) with Pakistan, Mr. Duggal said there was no such thinking that the peace process would be "halted or slowed down."

Curb violence: CPI (M)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the attacks had been perpetrated by forces inimical to the interests of the people of Kashmir and who did not want peace and normal life in the border State. "It is incumbent upon the State and Central Governments to take effective measures to curb this violence and to eliminate the terrorist network," the CPI (M) Polit Bureau said in a statement here.

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