Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Explosion Outside Delhi High Court: Terror Acts Continue

A high intensity briefcase bomb exploded near Gate No 5 of the Delhi High Court on 7 September, killing 11 persons and injuring 90 in a major terror attack that struck the National Capital after a gap of three years. Parliament unequivocally condemned the explosion outside the Delhi High Court and adjourned the proceedings till the government gathered facts and made a statement in both the Houses.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Adjourned
The Lok Sabha (lower house of the Parliament) was adjourned until 1230 when Home Minister P Chidambaram was expected to make a statement, while the Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Parliament)was adjourned until 1400.
At the outset, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar condemned the explosion as a dastardly act and asked the government to make a statement.
Cutting across party lines, leaders condemned the explosions as a cowardly act and said the Lok Sabha cannot continue with business "while people continue to die just over a kilometer from Parliament."
Leaders’ Reactions
BJP veteran L K Advani condemned the incident and urged the Speaker to adjourn the Lok Sabha until the government made a statement on the explosion outside the High Court.
Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BSP leader, also asked the Home Minister to make a statement on the issue and requested the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.
He also said that some foreign nationals came into the country undetected, carried out such incidents, and got way.
JD-U President Sharad Yadav shared the views expressed by members and said the fact that the explosion occurred within a kilometre from Parliament was disturbing.
CPI-M leader Basudeb Acharia termed the explosion as a "disturbing incident" which should be condemned not only by the House but by the entire country.
He too said that the Lok Sabha should be adjourned until noon and the home minister should make a statement on the issue when the House meets.
Bahujan Samaj Party leader Dara Singh Chauhan condemned the explosion and asked the Speaker to adjourn the House until the government made a statement.
Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete noted that even Parliament had been a target of terror attack and the entire nation has to fight this menace unitedly.
DMK leader T K S Elangovan condemned the explosion and asked the Home Minister to "look into it" and take action.
AIADMK leader M Thambidurai strongly condemned the explosion and agreed with the views of his colleagues that the House be adjourned till the Home Minister makes a statement.
Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the Lok Sabha should not conduct business till the government made a statement on the incident.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal then informed the House that the Home Minister would make a statement at 1230 following which the Speaker adjourned the House until then.
In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the proceedings until 1400 to allow the Government to collect information on the explosion.
When the House met for the day, Chairman Hamid Ansari said that a "disturbing news" had just trickled in about a bomb explosion outside the Delhi High Court.
"There are reports of some casualties. This is something to be condemned," he said. "As soon as facts are available, we will request the government to share it with the House," he said, adding that it could be possible by around 1400 and adjourned the House until then.

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