Bangalore ‘terror’ blast injures 16 ahead of elections
Explosion triggers panic among locals, appears to have been planted on a motorbike near the office of the Bharatiya Janata Party
A top Indian official said a blast in the city of Bangalore that wounded 16 people on Wednesday, including 11 policemen, was “an act of terror” designed to disrupt upcoming state elections.
The explosion, which triggered panic among locals, appeared to have been planted on a motorbike near the office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main national opposition party which holds power in the southern state of Karnataka, police said.
“The incident is an act of terror,” R Ashok, Karnataka’s home minister, told reporters as he appealed to people to “remain calm and peaceful”.
The explosion took place mid-morning in Malleshwaram, a part of the city referred to as “old” Bangalore and destroyed several surrounding vehicles.
It occurred a short distance from the BJP’s state office and opposite a Hindu temple.
“The fact it was so near our (BJP) office clearly indicates the perpetrators wanted to cause damage to our party members, cause panic and disrupt the forthcoming state election,” Ashok said.
India has made efforts to improve domestic security since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which 10 Islamist gunmen laid siege to the city, killing 166 people. But experts say security forces still suffer from weak grassroots intelligence gathering.
