5 killed, 80 injured in blasts in Gujarat, Maharashtra towns

 On the heels of serial blasts in Kandhamal, At least five persons, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed and 80 injured on Monday night as terrorists set off bomb blasts in the communally-sensitive town of Malegaon in Maharashtra and Modasa town in Gujarat's Banaskantha district.

Curfew was imposed in the eastern part of communally-sensitive powerloom town of Malegaon town after the blast and stone-pelting by a mob.

In both the incidents, explosives were suspected to have been placed on motorcycles.

Four persons perished and more than 70 were injured when a bomb went off at a hotel at busy Bhikhu Chowk area in Malegaon, police sources said.

Two of the four dead in Malegaon were identified as Sayed Zaheer Sayed Nissar and Rafiq Mustafa.

The mob pelted stones on police force and jeep of the sub-divisional-magistrate was also damaged in the stone-pelting, police said.

Police also fired in the air to disperse the crowd.

Five policemen, including Additional SP Viresh Prabhu were, among the injured in stone-pelting by a mob, police said.

The blast in the powerloom town came two years after a powerful explosion in a mosque left 38 dead in September, 2006.

"One boy was killed and ten injured in a low intensity blast in the Suka Bazar area of Modasa town," Sabarkantha District Collector N Narsan said.

"Our primary investigation shows that two guys had kept a bag on a parked motorcycle which exploded. Suka Bazar is a congested area," he said.

Brahmbhatt said the blast took place the Muslim-dominated locality of Modasa town at around 9.30 hours when the place was crowded following the breaking of the Ramzan fast.

"The type of explosives used is still not known. It will be known only after the forensic lab reports come in," Narsan added.

The bomb and dog squads have reached the spot, police said, adding the entire area has been cordoned off.

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Amit Shah said a red alert was sounded and security stepped up in the entire state where Navratri festival is beginning from Tuesday.

He said there was no prior intelligence input about the blast in Modasa.

The explosion at Modasa came over two months after 55 people were killed in serial blasts in Ahmedabad in July this year.

Earlier today, 17 crude bombs were found near the communally-sensitive locality of Kalupurdarvaja in Ahmedabad. P R B Brahmbatt said.

Worst is yet to come in Karnataka

Right to religion, right to protest and several other rights ensured to the citizens in the Constitution has been thrown apart by the BJP rule in Karnataka. This is the cost we would have to pay as the most uncivilised political party has come to power in the State. This is just the beginning. Worst is yet to come, said CPIM Leader and former minister Sriram Reddy.

Coming down heavily on Pejawar seer of temple, Mr Reddy said that it was highly unbecoming of a seer to be so political in nature.

“He met the Governor and spoke as though he was submitting the BJP manifesto. Without a mark of regret over the incident, the Seer said that there needs to be a discussion on Conversion. He did not even had the courtesy to visit the churches for namesake,” he said and added that Pejawar seer would have known what it feels like when the revered priests of a community are beaten up if one of them was assaulted in the same manner.

Addressing the protest meet on Thursday against the attack on churches in Mangalore, Mr Reddy said that communal forces in power need to be fought out because if they continue to be in power, they will not confine themselves to attacking on faith but they will proceed to communalise the administrative machinery.
“We just saw what happens when administrative machineries become communalised. On September 14, when the churches were attacked, the police had behaved no differently than the Bajrangis. Bajrangis attacked the windows and glasses but the police mercilessly attacked human beings, the revered priests and sisters of the community. The administrative machinery is behaving like BJPs agents,” he said and questioned the Chief Minister that despite the fact finding committee clearly stating that the IGP, SP and DG(senior police officials) have failed in their duty, why the three have not been asked to go back home.

Not an accident

He said that the incident is not an accident but it was a well planned and well executed crime, which was just the continuity of Orissa incident.

“Has anyone given ‘Hinduism’ on contract to RSS, Bajrang Dal, VHP or Pejawar math seer,” he questioned and said that if conversion was the reason for the wrath, conversion cannot be forceful at all because it is a voluntary decision of an individual. Right to religion is ensured in the Constitution and if there are instances of forceful conversion there are laws to handle the same.

“Let the fundamentalists show one case registered in any police station against any institution for forceful conversion,” he challenged.

Coming down heavily on Pejawar seer, Mr Reddy said that it was highly unbecoming of a seer to be so political in nature.

“He met the Governor and spoke as though he was submitting the BJP manifesto. Without a mark of regret over the incident, the Seer said that there needs to be a discussion on Conversion. He did not even had the courtesy to visit the churches for namesake,” he said and added that Pejawar seer would have known what it feels like when the revered priests of a community are beaten up if one of them was assaulted in the same manner.

‘CM, Home Minister shameless’

He said that CM has no shame at all and this has been proved because if at all he had shame he would have safeguard and maintain law and order in the State.

Further coming down heavily on the Home Minister Dr V S Acharya, he said that he is unfit to become the home minister.

“He might be the Home minister at home for his wife but not for the State,” he said and termed it as the ‘misfortune’ of the State to get such a CM and home minister.

CPIM Leader B Madhava presiding over the programme called the State government as a Fascist government.
He said that it was unfortunate that CPIM was organising a protest within the four walls of a hall as the Section 144 was extended by the district administration without any rhyme or reason.
Leaders like Ramachandra Uchil, U B Lokkayya, Balakrishna Shetty, Yadav Shetty and others were present.