A day later, Varanasi fights back

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A day later, Varanasi fights back

 

Sanjay Singh

Thursday, March 09, 2006 00:42 IST

VARANASI: Terrorists may have succeeded in carrying out twin blasts

in this holy city on Tuesday that took many lives and injured many

more, but they have failed to terrorise the local populace.

 

Officially, the death toll is 14, and number of injured 124. The toll

figure may go up as quite a few are still in the intensive care unit

of the local hospitals. Most of the business establishments have kept

their shutters down in response to the Varanasi bandh call given by

the BJP and the VHP. However, vehicular traffic and rickshaws plied

on the roads normally.

 

Security has been tightened in the twin towns of Kashi and Varanasi.

10 companies of PAC jawans (UP military Police) and five companies of

Rapid Action Force have been deployed at all sensitive points.

Meanwhile, undeterred by the deadly blasts at the famous 'Sankat

mochan Mandir', people thronged the temple of Lord Hanuman on

Wednesday. Right from early Wednesday morning, there was a bee line

at this temple to offer prayers. The temple priests remained busy

through out the day helping people in their rituals.

 

A crowd of curious onlookers, who wanted to take a first-hand stock

of the damages caused by the blast, also kept pouring in the temple

premises all through the day. Armed jawans of UP police deployed at

the temple on static duty were also surprised at the number of

visitors on a Wednesday. Generally, very few people visit the temple

of Lord Hanuman on Wednesdays.

 

At the Varanasi Cant railway station, there was heavy deployment of

security personnel and a score of labourers were busy cleaning the

main lobby. The magnitude of the explosion at the station premises

could be gauged from the three-feet wide and nine inches deep crater

caused by the blasts on the black kota stone flooring. The splinters

had also made deep marks on the ceiling.

 

However, even after 24 hours of the blasts, the local police were yet

to pursue a professional line of investigation to trace the culprits

involved in the incident. They did not seem to have any clue about

the local contacts of the terrorists involved in the blasts. They

have neither raided any suspected hide outs nor questioned any of the

suspects so far. SSP of Varanasi Navneit Sikra did not rule out the

involvement of LeT into the incident, though.

 

Senior police officers had no time to think about the investigation,

as they remained on their toes through out the day, providing

security to the political bigwigs who came here to sympathise with

the victims of the blasts.

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