PTI
 
New Delhi, Apr 15:: Thirteen people were injured, one of them seriously, in two explosions that took place in quick succession inside the historic Jama Masjid in Old Delhi when the devout were offering prayers on Friday evening.

While the first explosion occurred at around 5.20 p.m., another took place 15 minutes later near a pond used by worshipers for ablution in the courtyard of the 17th century mosque build by Mughal emperor Shahjahan.

The explosions left black patches near the pond. Blood stains were also seen at the blast sites.

A doctor at the LNJP hospital said 13 people have been admitted for treatment of minor injuries and burns. One of them is stated to be serious.

However, a senior police official said only six persons were injured.

A thick blanket of black smoke engulfed the area and people ran for safety. Announcement was made on the public address system of the mosque asking the devotees to leave the premises. No damage was done to the structure of the mosque.

Today being a Friday and a holiday on account of Ambedkar’s birthday, a large number of people were present in the complex at the time of the explosion.

Ambulances and fire tenders were rushed to the site and the entire area was cordoned off. Police in large number was deployed to prevent any law and order problem.

The injured were rushed to the LNJP hospital about four km away from the mosque.

Undeterred by the explosions, devout went back to the mosque about one-and-a-half hours later to offer Isha prayer.

Police said the explosives were kept in two small tin containers wrapped in plastic bags.

Police Commissioner K K Paul, who visited the site, said that the explosions were of "low intensity" and improvised device was used to trigger them.

He said that the special cell of Delhi Police have been asked to investigate the incident.

The police commissioner also appealed to the people to maintain calm.

Forensic experts have collected samples of explosives to examine the nature of chemicals used in the blast.
 

President, PM, leaders condemn blasts
 
PTI
 
New Delhi: President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition L K Advani and a host of other political leaders on Friday condemned the blasts at the historic Jama Masjid complex in Delhi and in Srinagar and appealed to people to maintain communal harmony.

The Shahi Imam of the mosque Syed Ahmed Bukhari termed the blasts as a desperate attempt by divisive forces to disturb communal harmony.

Kalam said he was "deeply pained that such inhuman acts have been carried out even on a day that is so important and holy for the whole people of India" and urged the people to maintain calm.

While Singh and Gandhi appealed to people to maintain calm and peace and expressed shock over the explosions, including the bomb blasts in Srinagar, Advani said the twin blasts were aimed at hurting the morale of the country and demanded a probe into them.

Advani said through the explosions elements behind such incidents were aiming at "disproving" the claims that they have been contained.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil said no damage has been done to the Jama Masjid structure due to the explosions.

"Such incidents are an attack on the secular nature of our society, and it is necessary to maintain peace in Delhi and the entire country," he said.

The BJP, CPI, Forward Bloc and JD-S were among several parties and organisations which condemned the incident.

Explosions trigger countrywide alert

PTI
 
New Delhi: The twin blasts in Jama Masjid in New Delhi on Friday triggered high alert across the country, including Varanasi rocked by terror attacks only a little over a month ago, with security tightened in and around key shrines and vital installations.

A red alert was sounded in all communally sensitive districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi, Faizabad, Aligarh and some other places and directives had been issued to district police chiefs to tighten security, official sources said in Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh governor T V Rajeswar spoke to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and asked him to issue necessary directives to keep an eye on sensitive places and tighten security at religious places so that communal harmony was not disturbed, a Raj Bhavan communiqué said.

The governor cancelled his Saturday’s visit to Meerut and Aligarh in the wake of the Delhi blasts so that security personnel could remain engaged in the work of maintaining peace and harmony, it said.

In Varanasi, where the Sankatmochan temple and cantonment rail station were rocked by bomb blasts on March 7, 2006 when 20 people were killed, senior police officials reviewed security arrangements at Gynavapi complex, Kashi Vishwanath temple and other key shrines and patrolling was intensified. Additional security personnel were deployed at railway stations, bus stands and bomb disposal squads put on alert.

In Mumbai, police put up a security ring in and around Siddhi Vinayak temple in Prabhadevi and Mahalaxmi temple and other places of worship, including Haji Ali, Mahim Durgah and mosques, in Central Mumbai. Visitors to the shrines were being searched thoroughly.