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Politicos condemn blast near NIA office in Kolkata

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ANI New Delh/Kolkata
Last Updated : Nov 11 2014 | 4:20 PM IST

Political leaders on Tuesday condemned the deteriorating security in Kolkata following an explosion near the office of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

A senior police official investigating the incident said no trace of explosives had been found in the area near the NIA office in the city.

A Union Ministry official had said that according to preliminary information, nobody had been injured. The official, who did not wish to be named, said the ministry planned to send a team from Delhi to investigate the matter.

Minister of State (MoS) for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi called the incident unfortunate.

"Whatever is happening in West Bengal is unfortunate and is unfolding a new chapter every day. It seems extremist groups are gradually getting a strong foothold there. The government of West Bengal must understand that it is very disturbing," said Naqvi.

The NIA is investigating an earlier explosion that took place in Burdwan in October that the agency believes was a botched plot by Bangladeshi Islamist militants to kill Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

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A Kolkata court on Sunday gave the NIA custody of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) commander Sajid, a Bangladeshi national who was arrested by security agencies on Saturday in connection with the blast. Sajid's arrest followed the detention of another suspect on Thursday.

Congress party leader Rashid Alvi, demanded a thorough investigation in the case.

"A proper investigation must be carried out to unveil the truth. The country must know whether it was a militant attack or otherwise. The names of those indulged in the case must be brought out in front of the nation and stringent action must be taken against them," said Alvi.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also called it a cowardly act.

"This is a cowardly act only to deter the NIA from proceeding in the path of collecting evidence in pursuit of truth and I am afraid the NIA officers will not be taking into cognizance or notice this kind of cowardly act, they would continue to do so and those who are indulging in these activities must be condemned," said NCP leader, Majeed Memon.

The NIA was created in response to the Mumbai terror attack n 2008.

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First Published: Nov 11 2014 | 4:06 PM IST

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