Centre seeks cooperation of political parties to counter terrorism

The UPA Government today sought cooperation of all political parties, civil society, media and public to counter militant threat in the wake of growing terror attacks in the country.

New Delhi, Nov 26 : The UPA Government today sought cooperation of all political parties, civil society, media and public to counter militant threat in the wake of growing terror attacks in the country.

In a statement in the Lok Sabha on the Friday's near simultaneous multiple blasts in three different cities of Uttar Pradesh, the government said that it would not allow terrorists to disrupt peace and communal harmony in the country.

Condemning the bomb blasts in Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said security and intelligence agencies would continue to make efforts to "neutralise such extremists and terrorist elements through preventive measures."

The Government said the Central agencies are helping the State police in investigations, and added that the investigations into these blasts have been given by the State government to the Special Task Force (STF).

Patil said that the State Government has announced compensation of Rs Five lakh to the kin of those killed and Rs one lakh for the seriously injured, and has given directions to enhance security in all district courts, especially of the Allahabad High Court and its Bench in Lucknow.

The State government has also increased vigil at sensitive and crowded places and educational institutions, Patil said.

He said that the five blasts, two each in Varanasi and Faizabad, and one in Lucknow, claimed 13 lives and injured 80 others.

"The modus operandi adopted in these blasts was that the explosives with a battery operated timer device were contained in a bag and kept on the bicycles parked close to the area where lawyers/litigants sit," he said.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal also made an identical statement in Rajya Sabha on the UP blasts.

Earlier, the Upper House observed a two-minute silence in memory of those killed in the blasts.

Both the Houses of Parliament witnessed uproarious scenes over the Friday's incident and the Opposition parties demanded Patil's resignation.

Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned twice during the day with the Opposition demanding copies of the Union Home Ministry's statement on the bomb blasts.

Parliamentarians belonging to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Samajwadi Party trooped into the Well of the House and alleged intelligence failure that led to the blasts.

However, on Sunday, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had given a clean chit to Patil, and accused the State Government for their lax approach towards the security situation in Uttar Pradesh.

He refuted UP Chief Minister Mayawati's allegation that the central intelligence agencies failed to give them the required inputs to prevent the incident.

The Union Home Ministry has already stated that they had informed the State Government about the possibility of terror attack.

The opposition BJP that heads the NDA alliance has said that it is ready to support the UPA Government in bringing new POTA like anti-terror legislation.

ANI