'No one can make India kneel': PM - Action News
Home WebMail Saturday, November 23, 2024, 08:11 PM | Calgary | -12.0°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
World

'No one can make India kneel': PM

Two Kashmiri militant groups under suspicion issued statements Wednesday denying responsibility for the deadly bombings on Mumbai's commuter system.

Commuters in Mumbai returned to the city's trains Wednesday as Indian officials called on Pakistan to dismantle an "infrastructure of terrorism."

Officials in India's largest city raised the death toll from Tuesday's bombings to 200 as worried residents gathered at local hospitals to check lists of the dead and carried photos of missing relatives.

Two Kashmiri militant groups issued statements Wednesday denying responsibility for the bombings, which happened during Tuesday's evening rush hour.

Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen condemned the bombings in India in separate statements released Wednesday, insisting they were not involved.

"These dastardly acts were perpetrated by the enemies of humanity," said Lashkar spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi in a statement.

"Indian security forces blame Lashkar in an attempt to defame the Kashmir freedom struggle," he said, repeating a chargethe militants regularly make when they are accused of carrying out attacks against Indian civilians.

"We do not believe in killing innocent civilians," Ghaznavi said.

The Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen group also condemned the blasts and said in a statement that "Mujahedeen cannot be involved in such heinous crimes."

Also Wednesday, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna repeated Indian demands that Islamabad crack down on Kashmiri separatist militants, who New Delhi says operate from Pakistan's part of Kashmir.

"We would urge Pakistan to take urgent steps to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on the territory under its control and act resolutely against individuals and groups who are responsible for terrorists' violence," he said.

Kashmiri militants suspected

Indian officials have been hesitant to blame Pakistan in the wake of the bombings, although many in India suspect the attacks were the work of Kashmiri militants that New Delhi alleges are trained, armed and funded by Islamabad.

Pakistan insists it only offers the rebels diplomatic and moral support.

CBCcorrespondent Michael McAuliffe saidcommuterson subway platforms were "defiant" in their attitude to not be intimidated and carry on with their lives. More than 6 million people depend on Mumbai's commuter system.

A series of eight bombs hit the western rail line in the city after between 6 and 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, ripping train carriages apart.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh praised the city for its strength Wednesday, saying "no one can make India kneel."

"Resilience and resolve will triumph over evil designs of death and destruction," said Singh.

Indian authorities said Wednesday they were aware Mumbai could be targeted by terrorists.

"We had an idea since some months that Mumbai was a target," said P.S. Pasricha, the director general of police for Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is located. "Since it is the financial capital, there are many vulnerable areas in the city. Targets are well-known."

The Times of India reported Wednesday that Indian intelligence officials believe Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and the banned Students Islamic Movement of India were responsible for the blasts. Both groups were blamed for a series of Mumbai bombings in 2003.

With files from the Associated Press