Shivraj Patil mouths old statements, old excuses

YET AGAIN: Home Minister Shivraj Patil says blast conspirators won't be spared.

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New Delhi: Terming Saturday's serial blasts in the capital as a cowardly attack, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the perpetrators would be severely dealt with under the law.

"It is a cowardly act by those who don't want us to live in peace. The people behind this act will be given stringent punishment according to the law," he told reporters here.

"We have just overcome the difficulties (of the previous blasts) and these cowardly people have hit us again. But I would appeal to people to stay together and not create panic," Patil added.

He has also announced that the central government would sanction compensation for the families of those killed and for those injured.

"Overcoming difficulties is a big challenge for us for the time being and I appeal to people to stay together and maintain social harmony," he added.

"The government will continue to deal firmly with such elements," he said, adding that he was confident that security agencies will soon be able to get to the bottom of these incidents and the culprits will be brought to book.

Patil said the Government always has some information through its intelligence network. "Whether it is Rajasthan or Gujarat, we always have intelligence information about such attacks, but we never know where and at what time the attacks may take place. We always try to stop such things".

In response to a question whether the Government had failed in curbing such attacks and had delayed invocation of an anti-terror law, he said: "this is not an occasion to discuss framing of rules and laws. Right now our priority is to control the situation. We can think and discuss about framing laws later on".

Patil refused to comment on BJP leader L K Advani's reported warning about the possibility of such an attack in Delhi, received through Gujarat government.

"Let us not play politics over this issue. I am not aware of what Advani has said. He is a responsible person. We are all responsible people and should behave responsibly," the Home Minister said.

At least 18 people were killed and nearly 100 injured in six terror blasts at crowded market places in the capital Saturday evening - three in Connaught Place, two in Greater Kailash and one in Karol Bagh.