The Hindu : Anti-nationals at work: Sonia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2003

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Anti-nationals at work: Sonia

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 25. Political parties today condemned the blasts in Mumbai, which have caused the death of 45 people and injured over 100.

The Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, said it was apparent that the serial blasts had been planned and executed by "anti-national forces''. In a statement, she said these forces should be counter-acted by the agencies of the State Government and the Centre without giving any quarter whatsoever.

Ms. Gandhi said she had spoken to the Maharashtra Chief Minister to ascertain the facts and urged him to take stern steps to deal with the forces responsible for these dastardly crimes. She conveyed her deepest sympathies to the members of the bereaved families. The CPI(M) too expressed its heartfelt condolences to the families of all those who died in these blasts.

In a statement, the CPI(M) Politburo also expressed its strong condemnation and shock at the blasts and demanded that the Maharasthra Government spare no effort to track down the culprits responsible for this heinous crime.

The Political Secretary to the Congress President, Ahmed Patel, described the blasts as "sheer brutality'' that cannot have the sanction of any religion.

He said: "targeting innocent and harmless people, who have nothing to do with politics or political parties, deserve to be condemned in the strongest possible words and cannot be justified.''

He expressed confidence that the State Government would take prompt steps to provide medical and other relief to the victims and families of those who lost their near and dear in these blasts. He also appealed to the Maharashtra Government to take all possible steps to ensure the safety and security of the people and also make all efforts to apprehend the "villains behind this act of violence''.

The Bharatiya Janata Party said a number of blasts had been taking place in the city over the past few months. The party spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and its associates were linked to the earlier blasts and the Maharashtra Government too had been saying this. "If the Maharashtra Government cannot deal with the situation, then the Centre would have to decide what to do,'' he added.

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