Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Petrol, diesel prices to go up by Rs 2/litre: Report

 New Delhi: Oil companies are planning to raise petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre, a newspaper has reported on Wednesday.

 The move is now anticipated as the crude oil price has touched the two-year high of USD 90 a barrel.

 Diesel prices have last hiked in June this year when the government had also deregulated the sensitive commodity allowing state run firms which control 90 per cent of the retail fuel market in India, to fix petrol rates themselves. Petrol prices too have been raised four times since then.

 While, during the same time the international crude oil prices has risen about 18 per cent.

 Oil firm shares have rose sharply after the report. Indian Oil Corp (IOC.BO) was up 2.7 percent, 
Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL.BO) rose 3.1 percent and Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL.BO) gained 2.4 percent.

 Earlier this week, Oil Secretary S. Sundareshan had said India could consider raising diesel prices before planned share sales of state-run Indian Oil Corp and ONGC but ruled out full deregulation of diesel prices.

Varanasi: Did provide intelligence input, says PC

New Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who flew into Varanasi Wednesday, a day after the terror struck in the temple town, while admitting that there have been lapses, pointed out that the Centre had provided specific intelligence inputs about the vulnerability of the ghats to the state government. 

Speaking to reporters after he visited the blast site -- Sheetla Ghat -- and the injured in the hospitals, Chidambaram said, “It is a low to medium intensity blast. Forensic experts have already collected samples from the site, another forensics team is coming to Varanasi, we will await their reports.” 

Giving further details, the Union Home Minister said that the blast was strong enough to make some boulders travel to a distance of 20-30 feet; they hit some people, while others suffered from fractures due to the ensuing melee. 

Pointing out the lapses by the state police, he said, “We had cautioned all state governments that in the run up to 26/11 and 6/12, we can expect terror attacks.” Chidambaram mentioned that advisories were sent by the Centre to all the states on the eve of the sensitive dates. 

“As far as UP is concerned, a specific advice was given on February 26, 2010 that Dashashwamedh Ghat was one of the targets for terorists,” he added. 

“The ghats are especially vulnerable. Some arrangements were made but I think that they may have been some lapses. One would have to maintain vigil at all times, there is no scope for relaxing the vigil,” he said. 

“Unfortunately despite the presence of a platoon somebody was able to plant an IED on the Sheetla Ghat”, he pointed out. 

“Everyday is a new day and everyday one must be vigilant,” he opined. 

On being asked by reporters whether there was a possibility of the National Investigating Agency taking over the probe, Chidambaram said that it will depend on the progress of the investigations that are being carried out by the state police. The Home Minister also expressed that the UP police would be able to break the case. 

With regards to the complaints by the UP Chief Minister that the state was not provided with credible intelligence input, Chidamabarm retorted, “I am not here do a jugalbandi. I am not here to blame anyone. Obviously no one can give more specific info than that (input about threat to the ghats). It is the duty of every state government to provide safety to the people.” 

On her another demand for a sophisticated anti-terror force for Varanasi, he said that the security is a state subject and the Centre can only supplement the security. “There is already one battalion of CRPF in Varansai and another in the district,” he pointed out.
One dead, 31 injured 

Giving details about the human causality, Chidambaram said that one 11-month-old baby girl Swastika, daughter of Santosh Kumar Sharma, had died in the blast while one lady by the name Phoolmani is battling for her life in the hospital. 

He said that a total of 31 patients were admitted in the hospitals and nine have been already discharged. 

Of the 31 four are foreigners, while two more were part of the nine persons who have been discharged.

This was the fourth terror incident in Varanasi -- the other three were in 2005, 2006 and 2007. 

“After 26/11, 2009 was completely free of terror attacks but in 2010 we had one terror incident Pune in February…I was hoping and praying that the ear will end without another terror incident,” the Home Minister said. 

He also congratulated the people of Varansai for maintaining calm and going about with their day-to-day lives with resilience.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Varanasi bomb blast: Terror email sent from Mumbai

Varanasi:  The terror email claiming responsibility for the blast in Varanasi on Tuesday has been traced to an unsecured Wi-Fi in Navi Mumbai. 

The email was sent from an ID that belongs to a little known group called Al-Fateh, possibly a front used by the Indian Mujahideen (IM) to mislead investigators. 

Police have traced the internet protocol ID of the email. The email address was used only twice earlier. Sources also say that the investigators have found that the email, sent to some media organisations, was written on December 6. 

A baby girl was killed and at least 25 people were injured in the blast at Sheetla Ghat in Varanasi on Tuesday. A railing collapsed in a stampede that followed the blast, contributing to the injuries. The explosion at Sheetla Ghat, near the main ghat where daily aarti or prayers are offered, took place at about 6:25 pm in the evening just as the aarti ended. Thousands of devotees and tourists had assembled at the ghat for the Ganga arti. 

Police in Uttar Pradesh have begun patrolling communally sensitive towns and cities in the state. Police sources say two people were questioned in connection with the blast. They have now been released. The Union Home Ministry has also sounded a nationwide alert with special stress on four major cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad - in wake of the blast. 

A team of forensic experts collected samples from the blast site on Tuesday night and found traces of Ammonium Nitrate. Sources say the explosive indicates a possible Indian Mujahideen involvement in the blast. It is still, however, not clear whether the device used was sophisticated or a crude one. The Home Ministry has, however, said it was a low to medium intensity blast, which explains the low number of casualties. Home Minister P Chidambaram will visit the blast site today.

Karamvir Singh, the state's Director General of Police, reached Varanasi late Tuesday night. He said preliminary investigation suggests the explosive was kept in the wall between two ghats. He also said the police is taking the Indian Mujahideen e-mail seriously and following up all leads. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati also visited the blast site late in the night. "We will request the Centre to provide us with Special Force to tackle such incidents in the future and ensure that such incidents don't take place. We will request the Centre to provide us with similar security arrangements made after 26/11 in Mumbai," she said.

In the last two years, a number of emails from terrorists have been traced to Mumbai:

EARLIER EMAILS TRACED TO MUMBAI
·         Sep 2010: Indian Mujahideen e-mail claiming responsibility for Jama Masjid firing
·         Sep 2008: IM e-mail claiming responsibility for Delhi bombings traced to Chembur
·         Aug 2008: IM e-mail, mocking probe into Ahmedabad serial blasts, traced to Khalsa College in Matunga
·         July 2008: E-mail sent minutes before Ahmedabad blasts traced to US citizen's flat in Navi Mumbai

Varanasi blast: Home Ministry issues nationwide alert

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has sounded a nationwide alert with special stress on four major cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad - in wake of the blast in Varanasi.

"A general alert has been sent to all state governments and they have been asked to stay on high alert," Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said here.

"It was low intensity blast which occurred at about 6.20 pm in which three-four people were injured. Subsequently we understand there could have been a stampede...as a result 15-20 people were injured. So roughly 20-25 people injured," he said. 

Images: Blast rocks Varanasi

According to Home Ministry sources, alerts have been issued to the four metropolis in particular.

They said a high-level team of the National Investigation Agency is also likely to visit the holy town.

Secretary for Internal Security at MHA, U K Bansal said, "We had alerted Uttar Pradesh Police sometime back. I am sure the UP police will take it as a challenge. There is no reason for panic."

Girl killed, 25 injured in Varanasi blast

Varanasi: Terror struck this holy town when a low intensity blast ripped through a crowded bathing ghat on the banks of the Ganges river during evening prayers killing a two-year-old girl and injuring around 25 persons including a couple of foreigners. 

Terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) claimed responsibility for the blast in e-mails sent to media houses and said it "attributed" the attack to the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. 

Images: Blast rocks Varanasi

Home Secretary G K Pillai said the government believes that the blast, which also led to a stampede, was a terror strike. Some people were injured in the stampede, police said. 

The girl identified as Sarita Sharma, who was with her mother for the prayers, died at Marwari hospital after the blast, according to IG (Varanasi) R P Singh. She was around two years, he said. It was not immediately known whether she suffered injuries in the explosion or in the stampede. 

An Italian and a French national were among the injured. 
The blast occurred at around 6:20 pm when thousands of devotees and some foreign tourists had assembled at the Dashashwamedh ghat for having darshan of the Ganga Arti ritual, police sources said. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm. Several cities including the national capital were put on high alert. 

Additional Director General Law and Order Brijlal told reporters in Lucknow that the blast took place due to "some explosive material" kept on the stairs of the ghat. 

Pillai said roughly between "20 to 25 persons" are currently injured. An Italian and a French national were among the foreingers injured. But police said 30 to 35 persons may have been injured. The injured have been rushed to district hospitals. 

The blast occurred at a spot some two km away from Sankatmochan Temple which was targeted by terrorists in 2006. 

"According to the information that we have, it was a low intensity blast which occurred around 6.20 pm," Pillai said in New Delhi. But Secretary (Internal Security) U K Bansal said the explosion was a "medium intensity" blast. 

Some people suffered injuries due to the blast while some were hurt during the stampede which occurred due to the collapse of the railing. Some of the injured persons were reported to have been hurt by metal pellets. 

Official sources in New Delhi said that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was recovered from a metal dustbin at the site of the blast. 

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Bomb disposal squads were also rushed to the spot. 

Eyewitnesses said a loud noise which also shook some nearby buildings was heard when the explosion occurred. 

MHA adopting casual approach to terror acts: BJP

New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday condemned the blasts in Varanasi and accused the Union Home Ministry of adopting a "casual" approach towards terror acts.

"He (P Chidambaram) is the most casual and confused Home Minister of the country. For quite sometime, every two months serious terrorist acts are taking place and the Home Minister always adopts a casual approach," BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters.

He said even on December 6, which marks the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, a routine advisory was sent from the Union Home Ministry.

"This time also, no specific advisory was sent to the state for December 6. And if the Home Ministry had sent a specific advisory, then what happened today in Varanasi is a failure of the state," Naqvi alleged.

Another senior BJP leader and MP from Varanasi Murli Manohar Joshi charged the incident shows the police and security in the city had become lax and that terrorist outfits have again become active in the state.

"Terrorist outfits have once again become active in Uttar Pradesh and I have discussed this with the District Magistrate and Commissioner (of Varanasi) that they should take immediate steps and strengthen the security at the ghats," Joshi said. 

Images: Blast rocks Varanasi

He claimed the timing of the blasts seems to have been chosen by the culprits with the intention to inflict maximum damage as a large number of foreigners visit the city during these months and in the evenings during Ganga aarti the crowd is "quite significant".

"It appears the police had also become lax and security was, I must say, out of gear. And this is the situation in the whole state where security arrangements are not being looked into," he said.

Joshi, however, ruled out that the blast timing had anything to do with Babri Masjid demolition anniversary. "No, it was not the purpose. It took place when the aarti was going on. It was the motive...," he said. 

No leadership change in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa will continue: BJP

Bangalore: BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday set at rest speculations over change in leadership of Karnataka government in the wake of land scam allegations, saying that B S Yeddyurappa would continue as the chief minister.

"The BJP high command is solidly behind Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa with full support," party President Nitin Gadkari announced at a press conference here after holding meetings with state unit office bearers, legislators and ministers.

"We do not want to create any instability in the state over the leadership issue. Yeddyurappa will continue as the Chief Minister," he said.

However, he said, "there are certain problems within the party and these problems will be discussed and solved in the party forum."

Gadkari, who went around the city for an on-the-spot inspection of development works with Yeddyurappa, rated the performance of the first-ever BJP Government in the south as "outstanding".

The BJP central leadership had on November 24 allowed Yeddyurappa to continue in office after contemplating to remove him following land scam charges.

Yeddyurappa had, then, managed to save his post raising the issue of stability of the government if he was removed.

Earlier, addressing a meeting of BJP state unit office- bearers, Gadkari told them in clear terms that the party was in no mood to change the chief minister. 

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He asked BJP workers to unitedly fight the coming zilla and taluk panchayat polls to ensure the party's victory.

The BJP chief said he was confident of the party's victory under the leadership of Yeddyurappa and K S Eshwrappa (state unit chief).

"The results of the zilla parishad and taluk panchayats should be in such a fashion that it should serve to be a befitting reply to those who have been expressing doubts over the leadership of Yeddyuppa," he said.

Gadkari exhorted partymen to display the unity shown by Opposition parties in attacking the government and stretch the winning streak it started in 2008 Assembly elections to the upcoming panchayat polls.

The expansion of the cabinet would take place after the local polls, he said.