BJP, VHP call for shutdown in Uttar Pradesh

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have called for a state-wide shutdown today in protest against the simultaneous bomb blasts in court premises in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad on Friday.

Lucknow, Nov 24 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have called for a state-wide shutdown today in protest against the simultaneous bomb blasts in court premises in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad on Friday.

BJP President Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh to meet injured in the hospitals and to take stock of the situation in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party workers have already begun their protest early Saturday morning, stopping the Ganga-Gomti Express at the Allahabad railway station.

In Faizabad, a four-member forensic team is examining vital clues related to the blasts as to who could be behind the serial blasts.

According to sources, a terrorist group called Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the blast.

On Friday night, the Uttar Pradesh police released sketches of three suspects believed to be behind the blasts. All sketches were prepared on the basis of information received from eyewitness.

Vikram Singh, Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police has said that new cycles could be likely clues for probe into blasts.

"Special Task Force will probe the case. We cannot rule out anything and will soon give you the result," Singh said.

According to unconfirmed reports, investigators have traced an email, which warned of the attack, to a cybercafe in East Delhi.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati blamed the Central intelligence agencies for failing to provide any inputs about the blasts, and said that state agencies were not even asked to stay 'alert'.

The Home Ministry has already issued advisory to all States and Union Territories to step up vigilance and surveillance.

Terror struck in Uttar Pradesh on Friday when militants triggered near-simultaneous blasts in court premises killing 15 people, four of them lawyers, and injuring over 80.

Six bombs - three in Varansi, two in Faizabad and one in Lucknow - some planted on cycles, went off within a span of 15 minutes.

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module, who wanted to target Rahul Gandhi.

ANI