Varanasi
March 8, 2006 

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav has condemned the bomb blast incidents that took place at Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and Cant Railway Station in Varanasi yesterday evening. He severely criticised the incident. Terming it as a terrorist act, he said that those involved in this incident would not be spared and severe action would be taken against them very soon. He said that the State Government with the cooperation of the people had taken the incident as a challenge and very soon the results would emerge. The Chief Minister has appealed the people of the State to maintain peace and exert control. He said that the country's unity and integrity mattered him most and the power was not important for him because he was not a person who was running after it. Mr. Yadav was talking to the media persons at the local circuit house here today. He said that Varanasi was a historic city and people from all walks of life and religion lived here with perfect harmony. He expressed his happiness over the cooperation of local people, traders and students who helped in the relief and rescue works. He praised the students of BHU especially for their cooperation. He said that the terrorists had lost their nerves as their designs were failing because their attack in Ayodhya recently had been repulsed immediately and five of their men had been gun down. Because of that the terrorist outfits were going berserk, he added. Announcing strengthening of security of all the religious places including local temples, he said that a hardcore terrorist was gunned down by the STF in Gosainpur, 25 kms away from Lucknow in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was a Pakistani national and had been awarded death sentence. He carried a cash award of Rs. one lakh and had escaped from the jail. He expressed the hope that the senior officers of the STF investigating the case would find some clue from it. UP's STF was one the best security agency of the country and the mystery behind these blasts would be soon unveiled, he stated. The CHIEF MINISTER thanked the Centre for the cooperation and praised the late night visit of the accident site by National President of the Congress Party, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the Union Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patil. He said that the Union Home Minister was in constant touch with him and he was himself keeping Mr. Patil updated about the progress. Earlier, Mr. Yadav met the religious leader of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhist and discussed the matter with them. Later he called a meeting of senior officers and gave them necessary orders. Earlier, Mr. Yadav reached the Cant Railway Station and Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple straightaway from Babatpur Airport and left for Sir Sundar Lal Hospital and Shri Shiv Prasad Gupta Hospital to inquire about the health of the injured persons. He directed the officers of the Health Department to provide best medical facilities to all the injured persons. The State PWD Minister Mr. Shivpal Singh Yadav, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT Mr. Virendra Singh, the Minister of State for Urban Development Mr. Narad Rai, Principal Secretary Home Mr. Alok Sinha along with IG Police, DIG Police Varanasi Zone, the Divisional Commissioner and other senior officers were present on the occasion.