Blame game begins over Varanasi blast

TIA correspondents/ AMN

VARANASI/ LUCKNOW: While the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has put blame on state government for the Varanasi blast, the UP Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday said there was no specific intelligence input from the Centre about the Varanasi blast. "Holding the state responsible is not justified…," Mayawati said in a statement.

The Chief Minister reaction come after the Home Minister’s remarks that specific advisory was given in February identifying Dashashwamedh Ghat here as a possible terror target. "There was no laxity yesterday," cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said reading out CM statement at a press conference in Lucknow.

"The Chief Minister has said that holding any state government responsible for act of terrorism is not justified, otherwise can state governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi could solely be held responsible for serials blasts and terror attacks," the statement said.
Mayawati has also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking help for Mumbai like security in the state.

Earlier talking to media persons at Varanasi after visiting the blast site and the injured this afternoon, home minister said the Centre has given a ‘specific advisory’ twice to the States on the possibility of a strike in one of the Ganga ghats by terrorists. He however said he had not come to blame any one but asserted that the law and order was primarily the responsibility of the state.    
Expressing the hope that the State security forces will be capable of bringing the culprits to book, Chidambaram said the Centre may ask the National Investigation Agency to investigate the incident, if requested.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced financial assistance of one lakh rupees to the parents of girl chilled killed in Varanasi bomb blast. 50 thousand rupees each would be given to injure. In its bid to identify the culprits of blast local police is seeking people who have footage for blast and authorities are also analysing CCTV footage at the ghat.  
State government has also asked special task force and anti terrorist squad of state police to inquire into the Varanasi blast.