CHANDIGARH: Union Minister of State for External Affairs R.L.Bhatia rules out the possibility that the recent bomb blasts are related to the Ayodhya issue.
Talking to newsmen after inaugurating a seminar on geopolitical parameters of the southeastern Indian Ocean, Bhatia said reaction to the Ayodhya happenings is over and Muslim counties understand the Indian government’s stand on this issue.
“After the mosque demolition, Muslim envoys were informed about the federal structure of India wherein law and order is the State government’s responsibility, they were told about the involvement of a foreign hand in instigating the January riots,” the minister said. Muslim countries are aware of Pakistan’s role and had realized that protests in their countries against the demolition were also instigated by Pakistan. Some West Asian countries deported Pakistan nationals also.
However, despite Pakistan’s suspected involvement in sense of recent blasts in Bombay and Calcutta, India will continue to hold dialogue with Pakistan, Bhatia said. “Prime Ministers of the two countries will get a chance to meet at the Dhaka SAARC summit,” he said.
Bhatia said the blasts were intended to thwart India’s effort to bring in foreign businessmen… an effort which was meeting with considerable success. Also, with the liberalization of the gold import policy, smugglers are looking for other avenues and can easily be hired to carry out such terrorist acts. “But the blasts will not prevent nonresident Indians and foreign firms from investigating in India,” the minister said.
He could categorically assert that suspects being the blasts would be brought back from Dubai. “We are trying for their extradition,” he said, and maintained that India’s relations with Muslim countries had improved a lot. Negotiations are on foraRs3000crore contract with Iran to setup a sugar factory, a power plant and carry out electrification there.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 26, 1993
