By IANS,
New Delhi : Calling Saturday’s serial blasts in Delhi an act of terror, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sri Prakash Jaiswal said “terrorists managed to dodge police this time”.
“We are not saying that was a security lapse but this time terrorists have managed to dodge police,” Jaiswal told reporters after six blasts hit the capital, killing at least nine people and injuring over 80.
“How they dodged is yet to be known but I am saying they gave the slip. This is a city of 1.5 crore (15 million) people and there is police almost everywhere, but terrorists, I am saying, dodged the police,” he added.
Without naming any terror outfits, he said: “They are worried about our development, progress and prosperity.”
The minister, however, said on the “face of it they don’t look like high intensity blasts.” He appealed to the people to maintain calm.
The terror blasts took place at crowded markets in the capital in the evening – three in Connaught Place, two in Greater Kailash I and one in Karol Bagh.
The first blast occurred at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh in central Delhi at 6.15 p.m., killing seven people.