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SHRI L.K. ADVANI (GANDHINAGAR): How many persons have died in Faizabad?

SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Two persons have died in Faizabad. The total number of persons died, according to our information, is three. The affected areas have been cordoned off and the police, bomb disposal and detection squads, under the supervision of senior police officers, are conducting thorough searches. So far, no information has been received regarding the type of explosives used, mechanism adopted and involvement of any group or organisation. According to the information from the police authorities, a high alert has been issued. If we get further information, we will share it with the House.

SHRI L.K. ADVANI : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I am grateful to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs for having given us this preliminary information about these blasts. I am sure the House would have an occasion to have a full statement on Monday as to what has happened because this practice of serial blasts started way back in 1993 when we had the first terrorist attack on Mumbai and it was then that we found that so many people had been killed in just a couple of hours or three hours where bombs were exploded spread over a long area. Since then, I have always held that it is difficult in a country of our size, and with terrorist outfits spread all over the country, to prevent even a single case happening.But where there are serial blasts, prima facie, it is a case of intelligence failure because for that they have to prepare over a period of time.  It is not that a group of three or four people go and see a crowd at a bus station, throw a bomb and get away. 

SHRI L.K. ADVANI : There is one difference between those serial blasts and the one of today because in that case, it is either Delhi or Hyderabad or Mumbai.  In this case it is spread over the State of Uttar Pradesh so that the operation has been more intense and therefore, there should have been greater possibility of the intelligence being able to identify either the people in Varanasi or the people in Lucknow or the people in Faizabad.

SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: I do agree that this is not a blast taking place in a city – three blasts – but in Varanasi many blasts have taken place in the city. In Faizabad and Lucknow also blasts have taken place.  That means, they have widened the area of activity.  And it is necessary for us to look into these things. I would be very happy to give information with regard to the status of the cases which have been filed.  We do have the information; people have been arrested and cases are going on.  But, it will be useful to discuss this matter any time which is given by the House.