September 8, 2011 2:49:28 am
As terror struck the Delhi High Court on Wednesday,Home Minister P Chidambaram stated in Parliament that intelligence agencies had apprised the Delhi Police of threats from certain groups in July.
Both Houses were adjourned till Thursday after Chidambaram made his statement and leaders of the parties registered their condemnation of the blast.
The Home Minister,who was making a statement on the incident,said,At this stage,it is not possible to identify the group that caused the bomb blast. However,he said,We are determined to track down the perpetrators of this horrific crime and bring them to justice.
Delhi,according to him,was a target of terrorist groups. The objective of the terrorist groups is to strike fear and to destabilise the country, he said,maintaining,We shall never be intimidated by terrorist groups. He appealed to the people to remain resolute and united.
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Chidambaram said the investigation of the case will be assigned to the National Investigative Agency (NIA). While offering his sincere condolences to the families of those who had been killed,he said the government will extend the best medical treatment to the injured.
The bomb,the Home Minister said,was suspected to have been placed in a briefcase,which was placed next to a parapet wall that marked the space where visitors gather to collect their passes. The bomb blast has left a crater that points to the high intensity of the blast.
Leaders of parties in both Houses condemned the blast and demanded a statement from Chidambaram. The Lok Sabha Speaker adjourned the House till 12.30 pm to enable the Home Minister to gather facts and make a statement. Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till 2 pm.
The Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha till Thursday after floor leaders of different parties backed the suggestion made by BJP leader L K Advani to this effect.
Advani underlined the fact that the attack had occurred near Parliament and expressed the hope that the government would use all agencies to bring the culprits to book.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav utilised the occasion to reach out to his constituency. He drew the attention of the House to the tendency to view members of a specific community with suspicion in the wake of such incidents. This should not happen,he said.
JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav advised the Home Minister to hold consultations with Opposition leaders and draw on their long experience for useful suggestions.
In the Rajya Sabha,Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley lamented the fact that terrorists could strike at will. He called for effective deterrent action.
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