Patil assures all-out efforts to nab those behind blasts

New Delhi, Mar 8 (UNI) Home Minister Shivraj Patil today told the Lok Sabha that the investigations into the twin blasts in the holy city of Varanasi have been entrusted to a Special Task Force and assured that the government would spare no efforts to nab the perpetrators of the crime.

Mr Patil, who had visited the sites of both the blasts with senior officers of his Ministry, said the Centre will provide all possible help and assistance to the Utter Pradesh government in its effort to combat terrorism.

He made the statement in the House amid noisy scenes created by opposition members who accused the UPA government of inept handling of the situation. The opposition members rushed into the well forcing an adjournment.

Mr Patil's statement, a copy of which was made available to the press, was not audible in the House.

In an outrageous serial terrorist strike, the 400-year-old Sankat Mochan temple was rocked by a blast and another bomb exploded soon after at a nearby railway station.

Mr Patil said the temple was targeted ''understandably'' to cause communal tension in the country.

The investigation has been etrusted to the STF by the state government.

''The central government reviewed the situation immediately after the blasts and the state government was sensitised to step up vigil and take all precautionary measures to ensure communal peace and harmony. The people were asked to remain calm and maintain peace. Additional forces (five companies of RAF and ten companies of PAC) were deployed in Varanasi for maintenance of peace and public order. The central government is in constant touch with the state government and is closely monitoring the situation,'' Mr Patil said.

He said as per the initial information received from the state government, the blasts occurred simultaneously around 6.20 in the evening.

In the two blasts, 14 persons including one woman and a child were killed and 103 persons injured. All the injured persons have been shifted to the hospital for treatment.

The Home Minister said an ex-gratia amount of Rs five lakh has been announced for the next of kin of those killed and an amount of Rs one lakh for those injured seriously and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.

He said no arrests have been made so far.

''The state government is taking all possible steps to nab the perpetrators of the blasts and the central government will render all possible help and assistance.

''I would like to assure the august House that the government remains firmly committed to combating terrorism. All of us have to ensure that such acts of terror by some desperate anti-national elements do not distrub peace, public order and communal harmony in the country and would not be allowed to undermine our determination to combat, control and contain the violence,'' Mr Patil added.

UNI JSS/GS LR DB1414