Revenge Fears Grip India

September 26, 2002

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- A largely peaceful nationwide strike grips India on a day of protests and apprehension as authorities wait nervously, fearing revenge riots in the wake of Tuesday's massacre at a Hindu temple in Gujarat state.

In New Delhi, police were forced to use water cannons to disperse thousands of people at a violent anti-Pakistan rally protesting against the killing of 32 people at the temple in the city of Gandhinagar by suspected Islamic militants.

The activists, led by members of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were blocked by police as they tried to force their way to the Pakistan High Commission in the Indian capital.

The protests, came two days after two suspected Islamic militants stormed the Akshardham temple complex in Gandhinagar, capital of western Gujarat state, killing 32 people and injuring more than 70 before being gunned down by elite commandos.

"Our patience is running out. One after another, terrorist incidents are taking place," Vijay Kumar Malhotra, a senior BJP leader, addressed the crowd. The United States should "declare it [Pakistan] a terrorist state so that these incidents can end," he added.

Elsewhere, India's biggest city Mumbai came to a virtual standstill with shops, schools and businesses closing after Hindu hardliners called the strike to protest Tuesday's terrorist attack.

Financial markets remained open, however, in the largely peaceful strike though there were sporadic incidents of stone throwing.

Thousands of troops have been brought into Gujarat in a bid to keep the peace and stop an outbreak of religious rioting. About 3,000 soldiers are patrolling Gandhinagar.


Violent backlash

How long will this bloodbath and violence continue? This should stop now. -- Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee calls for calm

The raid at Gandhinagar's Akshardham temple is the latest in a series of bloody clashes in Gujarat, in which authorities say religion is at the core.

In 1992, Hindu extremists tore down a 16th century mosque sparking nationwide riots, in which about 3,000 people were killed.

In February this year, Muslim militants set fire to a train leaving the site of that mosque, killing 59 Hindus, and sparking the worst violence in a decade, which left more than 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, dead.

The only incident in Gujarat on Thursday was in the town of Surat where two Muslim men where wounded by attackers in separate stabbing incidents.

Pakistan blamed

India has blamed nuclear neighbor Pakistan for the attack, with the country's Deputy Prime Minister Lal K. Advani, telling reporters it was carried out by India's "enemy" to "implement their designs."

While not mentioning Pakistan by name, Advani said the action was planned by a "neighbor interested in exploiting India's weak spots."

For its part, Islamabad has condemned the raid and denied involvement -- saying India is too quick to accuse its neighbor when things go wrong.

A spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, Aziz Ahmed Khan, told CNN such attacks do not promote any cause.

"India has this habit of dragging Pakistan into things it is not at all involved in," Khan said.

He said India should look to its own law and order problems, rather than instantly blame Pakistan when things go wrong.


Call for calm

The attack has provoked fears it may fuel further religious violence in Gujarat.

After touring the temple site on Wednesday, Indian leader Vajpayee called for calm.

"How long will this bloodbath and violence continue? This should stop now," Vajpayee said.

"This is not about a party, it is about the country's unity and social security. Whatever has happened here, on the basis of that, we will try and go forward. Brotherhood must remain," he said.

Vajpayee praised the police and security officers involved in the incident and promised a 50,000-rupee payment to victim's families.

Saying that intelligence agencies have already begun investigations, the Indian leader pledged to act against the attack's perpetrators and to "fight and defeat terrorism."

"Whatever I have seen, I will never be able to forget it. This is a temple, a sacred spot, no terrorist should be allowed here," Vajpayee said.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/09/26/india.temple.blame/index.html