NEW DELHI/JAMMU, 15 July — Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani has described as the “worst act of naked terrorism” Saturday’s attack on a slum here in which 27 people were killed and 31 injured.
“It was the worst act of naked terrorism. They (the terrorists) had no other motive but to kill the people,” Advani said during a visit to the massacre site in the Rajiv Nagar neighborhood yesterday.
While External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha was quoted as saying in New Delhi that Pakistan was responsible for the attack, Advani refrained from naming any country, but added: “We would take some action diplomatically.”
He said the government would make known its response in Parliament today, when the month-long monsoon session begins.
Advani had to face extremely hostile crowds during the visit. Such was the anger of the people that women beat their chests and shouted slogans against Advani and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who accompanied him.
Slogans like “Advani go back”, “Down with BJP, down with National Conference” greeted Advani as he reached the neighborhood. Advani went to the massacre site yesterday afternoon after visiting the injured at a hospital here.
Twenty-four people died instantly when militants stormed the slum on Saturday night and opened fire and lobbed grenades. Most of the dead were women and children.
Advani saw parallels between yesterday’s attack and that at the Kaluchak army garrison on May 14 in which 32 people were killed. “The whole nation is asking as to how long terrorists would continue to kill,” Advani said.
In New Delhi, the Cabinet Committee on Security met under Vajpayee and condemned the attack. The external affairs minister accused Pakistan of having a hand in the attack. Defense Minister George Fernandes, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and senior defense and intelligence officials too attended the CCS meeting.
Kashmir police have said the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba might have been behind the killing.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is scheduled to arrive here on July 19, said he was “horrified” by the incident. In a statement, he said: “Terrorism, be it in Jammu, Kashmir or anywhere else only serves to renew the determination of the free world to fight the evil.”
The death toll went up after two more of the wounded died at the hospital. Some others are still critical and the toll could go up. One of the wounded is a six-month old infant who took three bullets.
The attackers could have escaped into the neighboring hills. Overnight searches by police and troops did not yield any results.
“Our searches are still on,” Jammu Deputy Inspector General of Police Dilbagh Singh said. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Saxena and the state’s ruling National Conference party president and Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah also visited the massacre site and met the injured at hospital.
Said Omar: “This incident has proved that Pakistan has not halted the forces of terror and violence.”
