By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net
Patna: The toll in the serial blasts in Assam yesterday has now reached 77. The situation is tense and public anger is growing so much so that the Guwahati Police had to again clamp curfew at 11 am today. The curfew was imposed yesterday also but lifted later.
Thirteen bomb explosions rocked Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts yesterday in which 70 people were killed and around 400 injured.
BJP leader L K Advani visited the blasts sites in Guwahati and the hospitals where the injured are being treated.
According to media reports when Advani visited the blast site near the deputy commissioner’s office he faced a group of angry lawyers who shouted slogans ‘Advani go back’.
Advani had yesterday referred to Bangladeshis in his statement on the blasts. In the beginning the police was suspecting ULFA’s hand in the bombings. Now HuJI is being suspected as the culprit behind the blasts.
The ULFA has denied its involvement in the blasts in an email sent by ULFA’s self-styled lieutenant and member of the central publicity unit, Anjan Barthakur. He reportedly alleged that “the blasts have been triggered by Indian occupation forces to scuttle efforts by the ULFA to seek a peaceful political solution to India-Asom conflict.”
The investigation into the blasts took a new turn today when an unknown group The Islamic Security Force (Indian Mujahideen) claimed responsibility for the serial blasts, the deadliest ever in 2008.
The group sent an SMS to a local television channel News Live and claimed the responsibility for the blasts. The full text of the message was: “We ISF-IM take the responsibility of yesterday’s blast. We warn all of Assam and India of situations like this in future. We thank all our holy members and partners. Ameen.”
The SMS was sent from a Reliance connection with the number 9864693690. Soon after the message the mobile phone was switched off. The police have traced the mobile to Moirabari in Central Assam’s Nagaon district registered in the name of one Nazir Ahmed.
Meanwhile the police have confirmed the existence of a terror outfit by this name. The police claimed that this group was floated in 2000 in western Assam to fight Bodo militants.
In 2000, Bodo tribal militants had launched a violent campaign targeting Muslims.
Guwahati-based journalist Diganta Sharma said the Guwahati police have detained a person named Zulfikar Ali at 4 pm today in the connection with the serial bomb blasts. The only thing known about him is that he is from Nagaon.
He said the situation in the state capital was tense today. The administration resorted to curfew at 11 am to calm it down.
But at noon a mob came out on the street in Guwahati and started raising slogans against the police and the government for its failure in maintaining law and order situation.
When the Police appeared on the scene the mob started stone pelting which was replied by firing from the police in which according to the latest reports five people were injured. All of them are reported to be hospitalized and in critical condition.
Diganta Sharma informed that the death toll in the serial blasts has reached 77 and there are strong possibilities that it may go beyond.
Dr. Baharul Islam, General Secretary and spokesman of Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), said that until and unless there is a fair enquiry and concrete evidences are obtained by the police one shouldn’t jump to conclusion regarding the culprits.
“The recent tragic incident shouldn’t be communalized the way BJP is trying to do. Even as early as yesterday L K Advani pointed out that the Bangladeshi immigrants are behind the blasts implying that every Muslim who comes from Bangladesh is having ISI and HUJI connection, neglecting the fact there has not been any enquiry in the blasts,” Baharul Islam told TwoCircles.net.
He argued that there is no direct connection between blasts or terrorism and Bangladeshi immigrants because in that case what explains the blasts in other states where there are allegedly no Bangladeshi immigrants for instance in Maharashtra, MP and Delhi.
“We request Mr. Advani not to communalize the incident and spoil the secular fabric of the state,” he said.
He demanded president’s rule in Assam because the Congress government has completely failed to maintain law and order in the state.
He highlighted the fact that Madhukar Gupta, the Union home secretary had recently warned the state of possible terror attacks even then the state government failed to act on time.
He informed that BJP has called for a state wide bandh tomorrow which is being supported by all the right wing groups including VHP and Hindu Jan Jagaran Manch.
He also pointed out that all the political parties need to be united on the issue of terrorism because politics of division on this front will ultimately benefit the people who are behind the blasts.
(with inputs from Mumtaz Alam Falahi in New Delhi)