Blast meant to harm relations between India, Pak : Lalu

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Feb 19 (UNI) Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today strongly condemned the blast in the Samjhauta Express, saying the incident was basically aimed at harming the cordial relations between India and Pakistan.

Mr Prasad, who is in Patna, has cancelled all his engagemnents and is rushing to Delhi through a special plane from where he will be reaching the spot in a helicopter, a top railway official told UNI.

In all 54 deaths have been confirmed so far, including that of three RPF personnel.

The official confirmed existence of two IEDS in the affected bogies and said another two, kept in suitcases, were found in two other coaches.

Northern Railway General Manager V N Mathur has not ruled out sabotge as the possible cause of the incident. The matter was being investigated, he added.

Quoting reports, the ministry official said the accident took place in the two general compartments in which ordinary people travel.

''All these indicate towards a conspiracy to harm the relations between the two courtries,'' the officials said.

The incident took place a day ahead of the visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri. The incident was clearly aimed at derailing the peace talks between the two countries, the official said.

After separation of the two bogies, which was going from Delhi to Attari in Pakistan, the train left for its destination at about 0300 hrs, two hours after the incident.

Minister of State for Railways R Velu and other top officials have already reached the spot.

The ministry official said today's incident and the blast in a court in Pakistan's Quetta, which killed 16 people, including a judge, have to be viewed together.

Yesterday Pakistan had banned two Islamic charities which allegedly have links with terrorist outfit al Qaeda.

UNI

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