16 hurt in bomb blast near BJP office in Bangalore
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India

Bangalore, April 17 2013: At least 16 people, including 11 policemen, were injured in a bomb blast today as terror struck near the bustling Karnataka BJP city office in a crowded residential area, ahead of the May 5 Assembly elections.

The bomb, apparently strapped to a motorbike parked between a van and a car, went off around 10.30 AM about 100 metres diagonally opposite BJP office, injuring the policemen on duty.

The state government has called it as a "clear act of terror" .

The blast generated a loud bang and shattered window panes of some nearby buildings, prompting people to flee in panic.

Jagannath Bhavan, the office of the ruling BJP, located in Malleshwaram, was teeming with activity at the time on account of today being the last day for filing nominations.

Sixteen persons were injured � 11 policemen and five civilians, including three women � in the blast targeted at BJP workers and its leaders, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R Ashoka told reporters at the spot.

"It is a very clear act of terror...

It is targeted at the BJP, our senior leaders and workers", Ashoka said.

The injured persons were stated to be "out of danger" .

Significantly, the blast occurred on April 17, the same date when low intensity explosions ahead of an IPL match near the Chinnaswamy stadium here in 2010 had left several injured.

Ashoka said only a probe would reveal the terror group involved, adding that the state was in touch with the Centre.

State DGP Lalrokhuma Pachau said, "Nobody is critically injured.

All are being treated at hospital" .

A National Investigation Agency team from Hyderabad had arrived here, police said.

Malleshwaram is one of the city's oldest residential localities.

Since the past few weeks, the BJP office is overflowing with party workers and state and national leaders are frequenting it for the upcoming polls.

City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said a motorbike with an "incendiary bomb" was used in the blast.

The state BJP said the police had confirmed the blast occurred from the bike, which had Tamil Nadu registration.

They said it had happened when party state president, chief minister and national leaders could have been present.

Police said Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel on security duty were injured as they rushed out of their van parked nearby on seeing the vehicles going up in flames.

Two of the injured were college students returning home after tuition.

"Our van was fully damaged, the glass panes shattered, with splinters hitting us.

The impact of the blast was so much that the van seats sprung up, I almost hit the roof.

I cannot hear from my left ear now," 50-year-old Meerannavar, an injured policeman, said at hospital.

58-year-old Kunjappa, a KSRP Sub-Inspector, said "the sound was such, I felt my head would split into two.

While I saw flames rising from the two vehicles, the bike was in pieces" .

Kunjappa's hearing has been impaired and he has suffered injuries all over his body.

The terror act has triggered a war of words between the Congress and BJP.

"If the blast near BJP's office in Bangalore is a terror attack, it will certainly help the BJP politically on the eve of election," Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed commented on microblogging site Twitter.

Embarrassed, his party, however, dissociated itself from the remark.

In New Delhi, BJP President Rajnath Singh said the "terror act" appeared to be the job of some sleeper cells active due to "lack of efforts" in fighting terror by the Centre.

Singh refused to react to Ahmed's contention that the blast would help BJP, saying "I don't believe this has been stage-managed by somebody.

Acts of terror are taking place across the country" .

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