Search the Internet          Tips

Paramilitary forces sent to Gujarat,
army on standby

The government on Thursday dispatched around 1,000 paramilitary personnel to Gujarat and asked the army to be on standby to maintain law and order in the state, which has been rocked by violence ever since the attack on the Sabarmati Express on Wednesday.

"Eleven companies of paramilitary forces have been dispatched to Gujarat and they will be reaching there by Thursday night," a home ministry official said.

Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had telephoned him and requested for additional forces to deal with the situation.

The decision to ask the army to be on standby was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security presided over by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said.

The home minister said that he would make a statement on the issue in Parliament on Friday.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister George Fernandes, BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy and former party president Kushabhau Thakre will proceed to Gujarat on Friday to take stock of the situation.

While the defence minister will go to Ahmedabad, the two BJP leaders will proceed to Godhra, where the attack on the Sabarmati Express took place.

PTI

The Sabarmati in Flames: Complete Coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report