The Hindu : National : Badal rules out revival of terrorism in Punjab

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Badal rules out revival of terrorism in Punjab

Special Correspondent

Jehadi-Khalistani role in Ludhiana blast being probed

— Photo: AFP

Words of solace: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with a person injured in the blast, at a Ludhiana hospital on Monday.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has ruled out revival of terrorism in the State but security agencies and those investigating the Sunday blast in a Ludhiana cinema hall are said to be working on leads on joint involvement of Jehadi and Khalistani terrorists in the bombing.

As many as six persons were killed and 36 injured, 10 critically, when a high intensity device was detonated by suspected terrorists in the packed cinema hall of the Shingar multiplex in Ludhiana on Sunday night. While placing the State on high alert, the government has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of those killed.

While sleuths, including those from the National Security Guards (NSG) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) are working on various clues along with police, no arrests have been made so far. No terrorist outfit has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Talking to reporters in Ludhiana, where he had gone to meet the injured, Mr. Badal, while “strongly condemning” the incident as the most heinous act of the antinational elements, reiterated that law and order would be maintained at all costs. He said the forces inimical to peace and communal harmony would not be allowed to succeed in their nefarious designs.

Mr. Badal said police have been directed to keep a strict vigil on religious and public places. The Ludhiana incident was an isolated one and could not be considered a failure of law and order machinery. Top officers of the civil and police administration of the district reached on the spot within 15 minutes to supervise rescue operations.

State BJP president Rajinder Bhandari and Ministers owing allegiance to the party Manoranjan Kalia, Laxmi Kanta Chawla and Tikshan Sud also visited the injured. They decried the attempt to create communal tension in the State. They promised all steps to provide protection to people, including migrant labourers.

Chairman of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) M.S. Bitta has said that messages of caution by him to the authorities in the last few years had been ignored. He reiterated the need to probe the nexus between unscrupulous politicians, corrupt police officers and terrorists.

State Congress chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has said that it was unfortunate that such disturbances had begun to resurface after the Akali-BJP government assumed office.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News Update

Stories in this Section