The Hindu : National : Parties urge people to stay united, calm

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Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006

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National

Parties urge people to stay united, calm

Special Correspondent

Express shock and condemn the blasts

NEW DELHI: The Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left parties have expressed shock at the series of bomb blasts in Mumbai and urged people to stay united and maintain calm. In a statement, Congress president Sonia Gandhi condemned the dastardly and inhuman act and appealed to the countrymen to "collectively isolate such elements from society." Ms. Gandhi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and asked them to tighten all security measuresand maintain peace. and harmony. She also asked the State Government to undertake relief measures and apprehend the culprits immediately.

The Bharatiya Janata Party strongly condemned the terrorist violence blasts in Mumbai. in the strongest possible language. BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said senior party leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani and Rajnath Singh had appealed to all people to remain calm and maintain peace. BJP president Rajnath Singh and Mr. Advani would go to Mumbai on Wednesday.

Ever since the UPA repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act, passed during the National Democratic Alliance regime, the BJP has charged the Congress and its allies with being "soft on terrorism." Mr. Prasad made the same point here on Tuesday. He said terrorism had increased under the UPA, which had "traded its soft-on-terrorism policy with votes."

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat described it as a vicious attack on the people of Mumbai. He said this terrorist outrage should be met with unity and firmness. Describing the terrorist attack as a "serious matter," CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said the culprits should be apprehended as soon as possible and given exemplary punishment. "Life and security of citizens cannot be held to ransom by a few fanatics, whoever they be,' he said and hoped that people would maintain calm, vigil and see that peace was not disturbed in any manner.

Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee condemned the blasts and expressed sympathies with those who lost their near and dear ones in the attacks. He also appealed to people to remain calm and maintain peace.

Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president, condemned the blast and said the design of terrorists should be defeated by the people by remaining calm and maintaining peace.

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