Govt panics; rushes forces, bomb experts to Ahmedabad | Red alert

SHOCK AND AWW: National Security Guards and expert teams have been rushed to Gujarat.

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New Delhi: The Central Government on Saturday expressed shock and surprise over the serial blasts that rocked Ahmedabad on Saturday evening.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the Government was convening a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the country following the two successive serial blasts in Bangalore (on Friday) and Ahmedabad (on Saturday).

"I do not wish to say anything other than this that a meeting will be held tomorrow at 11 am to review the security situation in the country," Patil told reporters.

Patil also said politicians and party leaders should refrain from politicising the blasts and help in maintaining communal harmony. "Let's not play the blame game. We at the Centre will be extending all help to the Gujarat government," he said, adding, "anti-national elements have been trying to create panic among the people of our country. Today's blasts in Ahmedabad seem to be part of the same strategy."

Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told journalists an alert has been sounded across the state and also in all the major metros. “There are no details yet but all states have been alerted. One batch of bomb experts have left for Ahmedabad and the other would leave on Sunday morning to analyse the nature of the blasts,” he said.

Gupta also National Security Guards, additional forces and expert teams have been sent to Gujarat to aid the police force and the state government. Gupta also said while there were no specific intelligent inputs, all states had been alerted a couple of days ago. “We sent an advisory to various states and the in the next few days, I will call another meeting of all state DGs to discuss what it means,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Affairs Shakeel Ahmed also expressed shock. "We are surprised and shocked. Yesterday, it was Banglore. Today it is Ahmedabad. This happened even after the government of India issued high alerts to all sensitive states. We condemn the blast," he said.

"If they need any assistance, the government of India will provide it," Ahmed said. Asked about the claims of Indian Mujahiddin, a recently formed terror outfit, about triggering off the blasts, the minister said a report was pending. "We will give a detailed report after analyzing the state government's report. Let the state government report come first,” he said.