MUMBAI, Jan 30: Deputy chief minister and state home minister, Gopinath Munde, has warned political leaders against terrorist strikes by the Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan and has requested them not to address public meetings after 7 pm. The warning follows the Wandhama village massacre in Srinagar and a communique sent by a central security agency warning state government of the ISI's plans to disrupt normal life in the country.Munde, however, added that full security would be provided to all leaders of opposition parties, including senior Congress leader and former chief minister Sharad Pawar, if they were to hold a meeting after 7 pm. ``We cannot stop anybody from holding such meetings. We will take all the precautions.'' He said bandobast in the city was being beefed-up.
Meanwhile, patrolling on railway tracks on the Central Railway has been intensified.
The CR is suspecting ``sabotage'' in the two incidents that disrupted traffic last Saturday. A mysterious explosion occurrednear Vikhroli station on the CR line early Saturday morning and a few hours later, a WR motorman and gangman were injured when some heavy overhead equipment cracked and fell on a moving Borivli-bound suburban train near Goregaon station.
Officials said that ``sophisticated'' explosives were used in the Vikhroli blast indicating the involvement of a terrorist group. The railways has not ruled out the involvement of the ISI. ``Prima facie we feel that the explosive was manufactured from chemicals in an acid-potassium nitrate-sulphate combination as no shell or container in which the bomb was planted could be traced,'' said a senior officer. The Government Railway Police (GRP) has sought ballistic experts' aid for inspecting both spots and metal fragments collected from Vikhroli have been sent for chemical analysis.
The GRP has registered cases at the Kurla and Borivli railway police stations against unidentified persons for damaging railway properties. Said a special Inspector of Police, GRP, Ashok Desai,a report on the incidents has been submitted to the additional chief secretary (home) of the state government and the city Police Commissioner. More plain-clothed personnel have been deployed.``A close watch is being kept on passengers carrying heavy baggage in locals,'' said Desai.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
