Guwahati, November 1
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asserted that the government was not going soft on terror and pledged to take ‘effective steps’ against those responsible for Thursday’s serial blasts that rocked Assam claiming over 80 lives and injuring more than 350 persons. The PM along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi came here to take stock of the post-blast situation. They visited a blast site in the city and met injured at two government hospitals here.
Talking to newsmen on the premises of Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), the Prime Minister, in response to a specific question about alleged Bangladesh links to serial blasts, said: “If other governments are involved, we will definitely take up with them. It will not be proper for me to make any comment at this stage.”
To another question, he said, “We are not going soft on terror. The investigation to the blasts will look at all clues so far gathered.
“I and Soniaji have come to express solidarity with and stand by the people of Assam at this time of distress. We are here to convey condolence and sympathy to those killed and injured in the blasts,” the PM told the media.
Immediately after arrival at the Guwahati airport this afternoon, Manmohan Singh and Sonia accompanied by union minister for heavy industries Santosh Mohan Deb rushed to Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Civil Hospital at Panbazar to visit the injured.
The two leaders then went to the blast site at the parking lot of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court at Panbazar to witness a number wreckages of vehicles annihilated in Thursday’s blast. Kamrup district deputy commissioner Protik Hazela briefed the two leaders at the blast site.
Dr Singh and Sonia then proceeded to Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) to meet the blast injured admitted there. The PM held a meeting with Assam cabinet ministers and senior security officials at the airport at 5 pm before his departure to New Delhi.
