23 November 2007 Uttar Pradesh serial blasts
Encyclopedia
Six consecutive serial blasts rocked Lucknow
, Varanasi
and Faizabad
courts in Uttar Pradesh
on 23 November 2007 afternoon in a span of 25 minutes, in which reportedly many people were killed and several others injured.
Bombs were explicitly targeted to the lawyers who were working in courts premises at these cities. The first blast occurred in Varanasi civil court and collectorate premises between 13:05 and 13:07 pm. Two successive blasts occurred in Faizabad district court
around 13:12 and 13:15, closely followed by one at Lucknow at 13:32.
The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed
terrorists which planned to abduct Rahul Gandhi
. The blasts may be in retaliation to the arrested terrorists being beaten up by lawyers and not being assigned even a counsel to defend them in the court.
two bomb were found one triggered panic after explosion and other unexploded powerful live bomb was deactivated by bomb disposal squads. Both the bombs were planted in bicycles in civil court premises. Lucknow blast was mildest among all other blasts in Faizabad and Varanasi.
at least 11 people were killed including four lawyers and 42 injured. Bomb were tied to bicycles which exploded around 13:05-13:15.
which were strongest among all. In these blasts at least four people were killed on spot and about 15 were injured.
in India
is in retaliation against the injustice to Muslims in India, the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Gujarat riots.
Indian Mujahideen also claimed responsibility for the blasts in Delhi
and Hyderabad
but refused any association with the attacks on the Mecca Masjid
, the Samjhauta Express
and the 2006 Malegaon blasts
.
based terrorist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami
(HuJI) pointsman who goes by the name Guru has emerged as a prime suspect. Intelligence agencies suspect that Guru may have planned the attacks executed by sleeper cells of Lashkar-e-Taiba
and Jaish-e-Mohammed
possibly under the banner of al-Qaida-fil-al-Hindi (meaning al-Qaida in India).
decided to go on strike to protest against these terrorist activities. In the state capital, lawyers moved about in groups in the court compounds and raised slogans against terrorism. The government has tightened security arrangements in the courts throughout the state after the Friday blasts. Lawyers from other states also join state bar council and observing the day as shok diwas.
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
and Faizabad
Faizabad
City of Faizabad , previous capital of Awadh, is the headquarters of Faizabad District and a municipal board in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra . Faizabad has a twin city of Ayodhya, which is considered to be the birthplace of Rama...
courts in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
on 23 November 2007 afternoon in a span of 25 minutes, in which reportedly many people were killed and several others injured.
Bombs were explicitly targeted to the lawyers who were working in courts premises at these cities. The first blast occurred in Varanasi civil court and collectorate premises between 13:05 and 13:07 pm. Two successive blasts occurred in Faizabad district court
District Courts of India
The District Courts of India are the district courts established by the State governments in India for every district or for one or more districts together taking into account the number of cases, population distribution in the district. They administer justice in India at a district level...
around 13:12 and 13:15, closely followed by one at Lucknow at 13:32.
The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Jaish-e-Mohammed is a Pakistani-based, militant Islamic group established by Maulana Masood Azhar in March 2000...
terrorists which planned to abduct Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi is an Indian politician and member of the parliament of India, representing the Amethi constituency. His political party is the Indian National Congress.-Early life and career:...
. The blasts may be in retaliation to the arrested terrorists being beaten up by lawyers and not being assigned even a counsel to defend them in the court.
Lucknow blasts
In LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
two bomb were found one triggered panic after explosion and other unexploded powerful live bomb was deactivated by bomb disposal squads. Both the bombs were planted in bicycles in civil court premises. Lucknow blast was mildest among all other blasts in Faizabad and Varanasi.
Varanasi blasts
Three consecutive blasts claimed most lives in VaranasiVaranasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
at least 11 people were killed including four lawyers and 42 injured. Bomb were tied to bicycles which exploded around 13:05-13:15.
Faizabad blasts
Two successive blasts occurred in FaizabadFaizabad
City of Faizabad , previous capital of Awadh, is the headquarters of Faizabad District and a municipal board in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra . Faizabad has a twin city of Ayodhya, which is considered to be the birthplace of Rama...
which were strongest among all. In these blasts at least four people were killed on spot and about 15 were injured.
Terror Mail just before blasts
A little known group Indian Mujahidin has claimed responsibility of these blasts. This group apparently sent an email to some private TV channels just five minutes before the blasts. This email says the JihadJihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is in retaliation against the injustice to Muslims in India, the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Gujarat riots.
Indian Mujahideen also claimed responsibility for the blasts in Delhi
29 October 2005 Delhi bombings
The 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings occurred on 29 October 2005 in Delhi, India, killing 62 people and injuring at least 210 others in three explosions. The bombings came only two days before the important festival of Diwali, which is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains...
and Hyderabad
25 August 2007 Hyderabad bombings
The Hyderabad bombings refers to the incident in which two bombs exploded almost simultaneously on 25 August 2007 in Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The first bomb exploded in Lumbini Amusement Park at 19:45 hrs IST. The second bomb exploded five minutes later at 19:50 in...
but refused any association with the attacks on the Mecca Masjid
18 May 2007 Mecca Masjid bombing
The Makkah Masjid bombing occurred on May 18, 2007 inside the Makkah Masjid, a mosque the old city area in Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh located very close to Charminar. The blast was caused by a cellphone-triggered pipe bomb...
, the Samjhauta Express
2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
The 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings were a terrorist attack that occurred around midnight on 18 February 2007 on the Samjhauta Express, a twice-weekly train service connecting Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. Bombs were set off in two carriages, both filled with passengers, just after the train...
and the 2006 Malegaon blasts
2006 Malegaon blasts
The 2006 Malegaon bombings were a series of bomb blasts that took place on 8 September 2006 in Malegaon, a town in the Nashik district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, located at some 290 km to the northeast of state capital Mumbai....
.
HuJI's hand suspected
Investigating agencies suspect a the hand of BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
based terrorist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami is an Islamic fundamentalist organization most active in South Asian countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India since the early 1990s. It was banned in Bangladesh in 2005. The operational commander of HuJI, Ilyas Kashmiri, was reportedly killed in a U.S. Predator drone...
(HuJI) pointsman who goes by the name Guru has emerged as a prime suspect. Intelligence agencies suspect that Guru may have planned the attacks executed by sleeper cells of Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad...
and Jaish-e-Mohammed
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Jaish-e-Mohammed is a Pakistani-based, militant Islamic group established by Maulana Masood Azhar in March 2000...
possibly under the banner of al-Qaida-fil-al-Hindi (meaning al-Qaida in India).
Lawyers' strike to protest blasts
Bar Council of Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
decided to go on strike to protest against these terrorist activities. In the state capital, lawyers moved about in groups in the court compounds and raised slogans against terrorism. The government has tightened security arrangements in the courts throughout the state after the Friday blasts. Lawyers from other states also join state bar council and observing the day as shok diwas.
Reactions
- The Union Home Ministry of IndiaMinister for Home Affairs (India)The Home Minister, or more properly the Minister for Home Affairs, is a position in the Indian Cabinet, at both State and Union levels. The Home Ministry is one of the most important, powerful and high profile ministry after the Prime Minister...
said it's a terrorist strike meant to disturb communal harmony. - Uttar Pradesh's Chief MinisterMayawatiMayawati is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh...
condemned serial blasts and announced a compensation of Rs.200,000 to the next of kin to each of those killed and Rs.50,000 for those injured in the incidents. She also said that it is a complete failure of central intelligence agencies. - The Prime Minister of IndiaPrime Minister of IndiaThe Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, Dr. Manmohan Singh condemned serial blasts and announced a compensation of Rs.100,000 from the Prime Minister's National Relief FundThe Prime Minister's National Relief FundThe Prime Minister's National Relief Fund is an Indian organization created shortly after Independence. It provides immediate relief to people in distress. The Fund depends entirely on voluntary donations received from the public....
to kin of each of those killed in blasts. - British High Commissioner to India Richard Stagg said in a statement "We condemn all forms of terrorism. It is a particularly worrying development that the judiciary and the legal system have been attacked. Our thoughts are with the affected families".
See also
- Pakistani state terrorism