Statement by
Shri. L.K. Advani
Leader of the Opposition ( Lok Sabha )

At a press conference in Mumbai on July 12, 2006

My Party and I fully share the sense of shock and outrage generated by the terrorist attack on local trains in Mumbai yesterday in which nearly 200 innocent citizens lost their lives. I have no words to condemn this dastardly and barbaric act.

I also condemn the terrorist attack in Shrinagar yesterday, in which eight tourist, many of whom where Amarnath Pilgrims, were killed.

Neither the city of Mumbai nor our country is unfamiliar with the evil face of terror. Nevertheless, what happened yesterday was extraordinary both in terms of the scale of fatalities and the diabolic nature of the attack itself.
I would say that this was not the usual case of bomb blasts. It can only be termed as

“carpet bombing” along the lifeline of the country’s commercial capital and hence a warlike act of aggression against India itself.

I appeal to all the people of Mumbai and of the country as a whole to stay united and to stay calm.

I spoke to police officials, the municipal commissioner, deans and doctors of hospitals and citizen volunteers who did commendable work.

I salute the spirit of Mumbai.

We should draw proper lessons and further improve disaster management initiatives.

Comparisons are being made between the serial blasts on Mumbai’s local trains yesterday and the bomb blast in London’s underground metro around the same time last year. It is obvious, however, that yesterday’s terrorist attack was far more well – coordinated. Executing such an attack on seven running trains at seven different places within a short span of 15 minutes could not have been possible without a deep-rooted conspiracy and meticulous planning.

What is also obvious is that it could not have been possible without a nexus between a terrorist infrastructure outside the country and a supportive terrorist infrastructure inside the country.

It is evident that the Government of Pakistan has not kept up its commitment to dismantle the anti-India terrorist infrastructure on Pakistan soil. However, it is entirely within the ambit of responsibility of the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra to demolish the terrorist modules operating within our country.

Some newspapers today have mentioned the name of SIMI. Its footprints, and the footprints of similar anti-national elements in India must be investigated and erased.

As I have said earlier this morning, it is not the time to criticize the government on its acts of commission and omission. The ‘Raja’ and ‘Praja’ must unitedly face the immediate challenge before us. However, I do hope that the Government of India realizes the gravity of the terrorist aggression perpetrated by anti-national forces yesterday.

Today I have only two suggestions to make.

Firstly, yesterday’s warlike attack has yet again brought to the fore the need for an effective anti-terrorist law both at the national and state levels.

Secondly, since the attack took place in trains, I hope that the Government of India does not yet again institute a separate inquiry by the Railways to prove, as it after the carnage in Godhra that this was also an accident and not the result of a conspiracy by anti-national elements.