'Elements threatening India will not be spared'
'One NSG hub at all state capitals'
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Guwahati, January 02 2008:
UNION HOME Minister P Chidambaram has warned that those elements that are threats to the integrity of India would not be spared.
Chidambaram also said that Government had plans to set up one NSG hub at all state capitals of the country.
Talking to journalists in Guwahati today the Union home minister strongly condemned the Thursday's serial blasts that had rocked Guwahati leaving seven persons dead and 67 others injured.
After a meeting of the Unified Command Structure under the chairmanship of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Chidambaram said no quarters would be given to the insurgent elements.
He said broad guidelines had been already issued to police, Army and paramilitary forces in this regard.
Claiming that the police and security agencies had recieved information regarding the possible terrorist attacks of Thursday in Guwahati, the Union Home Minister said, "In fact, they were building up over the last few days.
On December 31, we had shared the information with the state Government and there was a massive hunt for the person involved in the first blast but he managed to escape".
The Union home minister said Assam police had known the bomber by his name as well as by face but luck was not on its side this time.
He said two associates of the man were involved in the blasts at Shantipur-Bhutnath and Bhangaghar.
"Two of the bombers are known to Assam Police.
I hope the Assam Police will be able to nab them soon," Chidambaram said.
Commenting on National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), a section of which was involved in the October 30, 2008, deadly bombings in the state, the Union Home Minister said the decision on suspension of operation (SoO) against the insurgent group would be taken within a day or two.
The NDFB was virtually split into two factions after it had removed Ranjan Daimari from the post of its chairman.
"Government cannot suspend operations against one faction when the other is found to be doing whatever it likes," Chidambaram said.
"Barring those covered by SoO, anyone will be dealt with firmly and decisively," the minister warned.
Stating that leaders of at least two insurgent groups of the Northeast have found sanctuary in Bangladesh, Chidambaram said, "The Prime Minister-elect Hasina had made a very positive statement that Bangladesh will not allow its soil to be used as a launching pad by the insurgent groups.
We hope for a new beginning.
There is a yearning for peace and development in entire Southeast Asia today" .
Earlier, addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 11111th branch of State Bank of India (SBI) at Sonapur, the Union Home Minister said the branch could have been opened anywhere in the country but Government and SBI chose Assam in order to send a clear message that whatever could be the oppositions, obstacles and threats "we are determined to bring banks and development to Assam".
It is worth mentioning that a bomb, believed to be an IED, went off at a dustbin near a TB hospital at Birubari at 2:20 pm on Friday.
In the second blast, 12 persons were injured when a bomb, strapped to a bicycle, went off at Shantipur-Bhutnath, which falls on the route Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was to take, minutes before his arrival here to inaugurate a branch of the State Bank of India.
In the third blast at Bhangaghar at around 6 pm on Friday and a shop was gutted in the resultant inferno.