BJP points fingers at Pak

The BJP has described the attack on Akshardham temple ‘‘the result of a conspiracy,’’ executed by ‘‘Pakistan-b...

The BJP has described the attack on Akshardham temple ‘‘the result of a conspiracy,’’ executed by ‘‘Pakistan-backed terrorists.’’

BJP chief M. Venkaiah Naidu said it is ‘‘a barbaric and inhuman’’ conspiracy, aimed at disturbing Gujarat’s social fabric. He said the attack might have been carried out in retaliation for failure of Pakistan-backed terrorism in J-K. He appealed to people to remain united and peaceful to defeat terrorists’ design in Gujarat as in J-K.

BJP General Secretary and spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was a pre-planned conspiracy, patterned on the Godhra carnage, to ‘‘set Gujarat aflame.’’ He suspected a Pakistan design in it, citing the UN speech of Pak President Pervez Musharraf, in which he made a reference to the Gujarat riots. ‘‘They obviously want to keep the pot boiling,’’ he alleged. Secondly, he said, Islamabad was keen on diverting the attention of the world community from the successful Assembly polls in J-K.

RSS spokesman Ram Madhav termed the attack as a ‘‘conspiracy to incite passions again in Gujarat’’ and called upon people to foil it by maintaining peace. He wished that Gujarat did not go through a second round of violence.

For Kolkata, the IMD has forecast mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate rain or thundershowers on most days through Panchami.

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