Long battle against Terrorism: Modi

Ahmedabad, July 27: A day after 17 serial blasts ripped the Capital city of Ahmedabad, Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi vowed to punish the culprits. Modi said, "The Ahmedabad blasts was a "war against India" and a handiwork of terror groups. There should be one voice against terrorism. The people behind the attack will be "hounded out." He also said there is a "mastermind group and a mastermind country" behind the blasts.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal told reporters in Kanpur earlier, "The blasts were of low intensity and similar to those which hit Bangalore." Modi condemned the blasts and appealed for calm. His party leader and MP from Gandhinagar L K Advani blamed the Centre and the lack of tough anti-terror laws for the rise in terror activities.

Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta said in New Delhi that National Security Guards personnel were being rushed to Ahmedabad where Rapid Action Force(RAF) personnel were already deployed to restore calm in the blast-hit areas some of which are highly sensitive.

CM announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next kin of the dead and 50,000 for the injured. He also said that Gujarat government will bear all the costs of treatment of injured people admitted in hospitals.

Terrorists triggered 16 serial blasts in a space of 60 to 70 minutes on Saturday, July 26 night in crowded market areas of Ahmedabad.

Maninagar, Isanpur, Narol circle, Bapunagar, Hatkeshwar, Sarangpur bridge, Sarkhej, Odhav, Sardar Patel market, Civil hospital, Juhapura, Ambur tower building, Raipur and Gowribhadi were the areas where blasts took place.

Fourteen crowded areas including market places were hit by the synchronised "low-intensity" explosions in a space of 60 to 70 minutes after the first blast hit Maninagar at 6.45 pm.

The bombs installed in tiffin boxes were strapped on to bicycles. Some of the blast sites were in sensitive areas in the old city but the situation was peaceful.

There were three blasts in Maninagar--the constituency of Chief Minister Narendra Modi--and two in Sarkhej targetting a State transport CNG bus and near the old Sangam theatre.

Significantly, two blasts occured in the premises of Civil and LG hospitals where several victims of the explosions in other areas were being rushed exacerbating the already tense situation.

OneIndia News