Cabinet asks Patil to take steps on Assam situation

New Delhi, Oct 31 (UNI) The Union Cabinet has expressed serious concern over the serial blasts in Assam and requested Home Minister Shivraj Patil to take necessary steps in this connection.

Briefing reporters, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the Cabinet meeting last evening also expressed serious concern over the attacks on north Indians in Mumbai and asked Mr Patil to convey the sense of the Cabinet to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Mr Chidambaram said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh informed the Cabinet that he had written a strong letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister about the attacks.

The Home Minister said he had also spoken to Mr Deshmukh on several occasions about the incidents.

The Cabinet also expressed sympathies to the families of those killed in the Assam blasts yesterday.

''The Cabinet expressed serious concern about the blasts. The Home Minister has been requested to take necessary steps,'' Mr Chidambaram said.

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