Gowda denounces Bangalore serial blasts

New Delhi, Jul 25 (UNI) Janata Dal (Secular) President and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today condemned the serial blasts at Bangalore and said over the years the IT hub had become a target of anti-India forces because of its phenomenal growth in the sector.

In a statement, Mr Gowda said the Centre and state governments should sink differences and combat the menace which had posed a threat to the very survival of the nation.

''My party will offer its fullest cooperation to combat terrorists,'' he said in a statement.

He also appealed to parties not to make any communally sensitive statement and thus foil the nefarious designs of the anti-national forces who want to pit one against the other through their heinous crimes. Similar blasts had occurred in Jaipur two months ago, he noted.

The former prime minister said the culprits behind the blasts irrespective of their religious and political affiliations should be tracked down and punished severely to send a strong message to the perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

Asking the government to fix responsibility for dereliction of duty, he said the government should take necessary steps, including further strengthening of intelligence and security apparatus to prevent recurrence of such incidents. No innocent civilian should be harassed in the name of investigations, he cautioned.

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