Guwahati: It was a big blow to India's security establishment. Just over a week before elections 2009 kick off, blasts rocked Assam on Monday. The blasts, a day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits the state, left seven people dead and scores injured.
The blasts come at a time when the government had warned of specific terror threats to important installations and politicians in the run up to the elections. Assam has been on the terror radar for long and Monday's blasts also come a day ahead of the ULFA's 30th foundation day.
The bomb in Guwahati went off during lunch hour outside a three-storey market. It was placed on a bicycle, but the improvised bomb was powerful enough to set ablaze several vehicles and part of the building. Reports of the first deaths came within minutes, but continued to steadily rise over the next few hours.
At first, there appeared to be chaos. People and relief personnel rushed to the rescue. But soon there was anger amongst people against the authorities and the media. Part of the anger was at the inability of the forces to prevent frequent attacks in the state capital.
"I understand the people's anger," said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
In fact, many say, it's expected that banned militant group ULFA usually attempts terror attacks before it's raising day, which is on Tuesday. But the police aren't pinning the blame just yet, though ULFA is the prime suspect behind the attack.
"We had anticipated and had several operations. But this we didn't anticipate," said Guwahati DGP G P Singh.
More blasts in the north and south made the state establishment even more jittery. An immediate concern is the Prime Minister's visit for an election rally in Dibrugarh. But the fallout of the attacks may well be felt on polling day as well.