Don't jump to conclusions: Patil

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Saturday said that it was premature to jump to conclusions on the persons or organisations behind Friday's bomb blast at the city's historic Mecca Masjid.

The death toll has mounted to 16, including 11 in the bomb blast and five in the police firings.  

After visiting the blast site and the hospital where the injured are being treated, Shivraj Patil said: "We have information and the state government has the information but premature disclosure of information does not help the investigation."

Showing reluctance to identify the organizations from India or outside responsible for the blast in Hyderabad, he said "After investigating the mater fully and comprehensively, if we come to the conclusion that someone else outside the country is responsible, there is no difficulty in saying so but we should not jump to the conclusion."

Patil offered condolences to the members of the bereaved families and the persons who have suffered in this incident, on behalf of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and himself.

"The people have understood the situation correctly. The media has reported this unfortunate incident to the people in the correct manner. The officers have tried to do their duty in the best possible manner. The chief minister, state home minister and their colleagues have been very prompt in taking necessary action to see that this incident did not create any more problems in the city and the state," Patil said.

Patil said: "We have been watching the situation in the country in the country and in the state and trying to do our best to ensure that those who want to use violence do not succeed. Those who want to create problems have their own designs. They are trying to use explosives and weapons and their designs to create the problems."

"One of the things which appear to have been done by them is to attack religious places so that bad blood develops between different communities and spreads to different parts of the state and the country. It is in this respect we have a responsibility and that responsibility is to understand as to why this is being done and we have to act in a manner which is really helpful," he said.

Asked if he saw any pattern in the blast incidents like this at various religious places, he said, "From the attacks that have taken place on the churches, mandirs and masjids, it is obvious that they have deliberately chosen to attack the places of worship in a bid to foment communal trouble and create hatred between different communities. Such attacks have taken place in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, at Jama Masjid in Delhi and now at Mecca Masjid. There seems to be a design. The Malegaon incident is being examined and this case will also be investigated."