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AP still in the dark on hand behind attacks on minorities

George Iype in Hyderabad

Every morning at 6.30, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu logs on, for an hour-long videoconference with district collectors and police superintendents. But for 40 days, he has been repeating a reminder to the state's top officials: "It is more than one month that the bomb blasts occurred in places of worship in the state. We could not gather any information about the culprits so far," he told the officials last Thursday.

More than a month after bomb explosions at places of worships across Andhra Pradesh, Naidu is these days caught between growing intolerance from the Sangh Parivar, the ire from minority communities and protests from opposition parties.

The administration's failure to nab the guilty disturbed Naidu so much that he last week announced a reward of Rs 25 lakh for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for bomb explosions and appointment of watchmen at all places of worship.

But not many believe that the twin measures would help arrest the communal tide in the state, thanks to the Telugu Desam Party's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Never before have bombs exploded in churches and mosques in the state. Minority communities in Andhra Pradesh have never been under attack. Why is the state becoming communal like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat after Naidu returned to power is anybody's guess," pointed out Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, the state Congress leader and opposition chief.

"The TDP's alliance with the BJP and other Sangh Parivar outfits is the main reason for bomb blasts in minority places of worship across the state," Reddy told rediff.com.

Reddy said that Naidu himself could claim the reward because "the chief minister is the best person to give the police clues leading to the arrest of the culprits."

Opposition parties like the Congress alleged Naidu's action was a tacit admission that the government had failed to stop the menace in the state.

Officials in the Naidu ministry admit that the reward -- the highest ever a state has announced to nab culprits for minor bomb blasts -- is to check unpopularity creeping into the Naidu government.

"When the police makes no headway in 12 bomb blasts, we can no longer pretend that nothing has happened. In fact, we are worried about how to handle public protests if there are more blasts,'' an official close to Naidu told rediff.com.

But state police teams are baffled as the attacks have occurred in places that had no previous history of communal tension.

The series of bomb blasts began in a church in Machillipatnam on May 2. On May 28, the police recovered unexploded bombs from two churches at Vikarabad and Medak. Then, there were powerful bomb explosions in two churches in Tadepalligudem and Ongole on June 8.

As Naidu directed the police to step up vigil at churches, the miscreants targeted cemeteries. Then bombs went off at the Markaz mosque at Guntur town on June 25. It set off communal violence and about 300 people set ablaze the NTR bus-station, one of the state's best-managed stations, at Guntur.

The police seized 1200 electric detonators, 10,000 gelatine sticks and over 300 kg of fuse wire-from a matchbox-laden lorry on June 27.

"The bomb blasts have been a well-calculated move to terrorise minority communities. We are therefore thoroughly investigating who is behind the blasts," additional director general of police (law and order) M L Kumavat told rediff.com.

He said the nature of blasts and devices indicate that all were carried out by one agency.

Kumavat said the involvement of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence agency cannot be ruled out.

The Central government, BJP and Sangh Parivar have been blaming the blasts in AP and other states on the ISI. "The ISI is spreading terror in Andhra Pradesh. It is ridiculous always to point fingers at us when bomb blasts occur in churches and mosques," state BJP president Chilakam Ramachandra Reddy told rediff.com.

While the police and BJP are blaming the ISI, Naidu has gone a step ahead. Expressing unhappiness over tardy progress of investigations, he blamed the blasts on intra-community feuds among Christians and Muslims.

Christian and Muslim organisations alleged that Naidu has become a coward after his association with the BJP in the last assembly elections.

"Does Naidu mean to say that all the blasts in churches and mosques are due to our community's problems?" asked Sam Paul of the All India Christian Council.

"It clear that some individuals or gangs are trying to create unrest among minorities in an organised manner. Naidu is remaining deaf and mute while we are beginning to fear for our lives," Paul told rediff.com.

All India Muslim Welfare Society secretary Mohammad Ashraf felt that minorities in the state have been looking at the TDP with mistrust and trepidation after Naidu tied up with the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre.

"Naidu was the first to protest against the Staines murder in Orissa and the attacks on churches in Gujarat. But when Christians and Muslims are under attack in his home state, he remains mute," Ashraf told rediff.com.

Naidu, however, told a delegation of minority leaders last week, "We will not spare the culprits. They will be punished sternly. We will provide protection to all places of worship, even if it costs Rs 10 crore."

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