Blame game over Assam blasts begins

Guwahati, Oct 30: Political parties in Assam have already started their allegations and counter-allegations even as the charred bodies were still being taken out of ambulances all over Guwahati and lower Assam after the serial blasts today, which left at least 40 persons dead.

Terming today as the ''saddest day for Assam'', Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi blamed insurgent outfits for the attack.

But his political opponents, including state BJP president Ramen Deka and AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary, alleged that soft handling of Islamic militant groups by the state government was responsible for such a situation.

''Despite repeated intelligence reminders, Mr Gogoi is hell bent on giving protection to Islamic militants, fearing that any action against them could upset the Muslim vote bank in Assam. Now look at the devastation this has causexd,'' Mr Deka said.

A similar sentiment was echoed by AGP president Patowary. ''The might of the Islamic militants was evident in the recent communal violence but the state government sought to downplay it. When a Pakistani flag was unfurled in Darrang district, government spokesman Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said it was a flag of Eid. Today you can see the result,'' Mr Patowary said.

However, state government spokesman Dr Hiamnta Biswa Sarma suspected that the ULFA was involved in the attack.

''Looking at the intensity, manner and timing of the attack, it is clear that it is a HuJI attack. This government is scared of taking on the Islamic militancy for vote bank politics,'' AASU advisor Dr Samujjla Kr Bhattacharya said.

UNI