New Delhi, September 8
The Centre today rushed para military forces to Malegaon in Maharashtra to maintain law and order and prevent any communal backlash in the wake of the twin blasts that killed 30 persons and injured 56 others in the textile town. Advisories have also been issued to the states to be on high alert.

The Centre rushed over 3000 jawans of the CRPF and the Rapid Action Forces besides over 500 personnel of Special Reserve Police to deal with the situation which was “tense but under control,” Union Home Secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal said.

The Home Secretary was briefing mediapersons after his telephonic talks with the state Chief Secretaries and Police Chiefs to take stock of the situation arising out of the blasts in Mushaira Chowk and ‘Kabristan’ around 1.50 pm.

To a specific question whether the government saw any link between the recent Mumbai serial blasts and today’s incident, he said “it is too early to blame anybody or establish a pattern as no one has claimed the responsibility so far. Nobody has said who has done it.”

Mr Duggal said it was also too premature to say about the blast material but initial reports suggested that the explosive at Mushaira Chowk was tied to a bicycle. “But nothing can be said with certainty still,” he said. — PTI