Guwahati, November 01 2008: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Saturday indirectly hinted a probable involvement of foreign countries in the Thursday's serial blasts in Assam and said that the Central government would take effective action whoever is found involved.

The Prime Minister told this to newsmen at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in the city after visiting the victims of Thursday's serial blasts, who were undergoing treatment at the hospital.

"If there is some other government involved in the blasts, we would take stern action against them," said the Prime Minister while answering to a question on whether the UPA government is taking up the issue with the Bangladesh.

Singh however, did not name any particular country and only said, "It is not possible for me to comment on this right now but we would look into all the clues we have received during the investigation.

"I and Soniaji are here to express our solidarity with the people of Assam at this hour of distress and also to extend our condolence to the relatives of those who had lost their lives during the blast and the injured ones," he said while adding that the Central and the state government would do everything that the state needs to bring back normalcy again.

The Prime Minister on Saturday visited the blast hit places in Guwahati and the two hospitals and assured the victims of all help on behalf of the state government.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev also accompanied the Prime Minister.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil who had been camping in Guwahati since Friday also accompanied the PM to the hospitals.

The Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister is expected to hold a security meeting at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport in Guwahati which would also be attended by Assam chief minister and other top brass of the police and administration.

Meanwhile, the death toll of the Thursday's blast has increased to 81 on Saturday after four seriously injured persons breathed their last Saturday.

The toll is likely to increase further as some persons are still found missing since Thursday.

Even as the Thursday Assam serial blasts toll has risen to 81 today with four more succumbing this afternoon, the Assam police could make some breakthrough on Saturday.

The serial blasts in Assam now left 81 dead and over 300 injured and many are still missing.

The Guwahati police on Friday night arrested three persons including the Nasir Ahmed from whose mobile phone cadres of the Islamic Security Force (an outfit who claimed to be a branch of the Indian Mujahideen) sent SMS to a local news channel claiming responsibility for the serial blasts on Friday.

The other person who was arrested by the police is S Saikia.

Police had on Friday morning arrested one Julfikar Ali, whose vehicle was allegedly used by the militants to trigger one of the three blasts in the city.

IGP (Law and Order) Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta said that investigation is heading in right direction and added that the police have identified the two vehicles and one motorcycle which were used in the blasts were.

"The militants had used Amonium Nitrate and RDX to trigger the blasts and timed device were used in all the blasts," he said.

"We have arrested Saikia as we found that his vehicle was used to trigger blast at CJM court.

One Biswa Burhagohain wa also used as his motorcycle was used to trigger the blasts at Ganeshguri and we have contacted the Arunachal Pradesh police for details of one vehicle, which was used to trigger the blast at Panbazar," said Mahanta.

"We hope to crack the whole case very soon.

After talking to the eyewitnesses of the blasts we have come to know that some of them might have seen the militants who have planted the bombs," he said and added that the police have already engaged some artistes to draw sketches of those suspects.

Meanwhile, the Assam cabinet on Saturday decided to appoint one Commissioner of Police for the Guwahati city who would have some powers and authority of the district magistrate (DM).

The Assam chief minister submitted a report before the cabinet on Saturday over the incidents of serial blasts where it was stated that thee are hands of United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) and Jehadi or Islamic Fundamentalist forces behind the blasts.

The Cabinet had also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), to be headed by IGP (Special Tsk Force) R Chandranathan to investigate into the serial blasts.

Comment