LUCKNOW: Issuing an advisory, UP DGP office, on Wednesday, sounded a high alert across state following alleged terror threats from Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba (LeT) to bomb various temples and railway stations in UP.
Sending the security agencies into a tizzy, Pakistan-based terror outfit had threatened to carry out series of bomb blasts at various places, including Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and a number of railway stations across UP. Consequently, security was beefed up at all the
important places and the railway stations, especially, Saharanpur and Hapur allegedly on the target of the outfit.
According to police sources, LeT, issued a letter undersigned by Maulana Ambu Sheikh, the area commander of the outfit based in Jammu and Kashmir to hand out the threat. The letter, the authenticity of
which is being ascertained, was received by the Northern Railways, New Delhi, on May 29. It mentioned that the terror organisation would blow up prominent places in UP between June 6 and June10, 2018.
While the intelligence agencies are keeping a tight vigil in view of the letter, deployment of state police force has been stepped up on all the important place of religious, tourist and public places of importance purportedly under threat.
Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Anand Kumar said that security was beefed-up at important religious, tourist and public places across Uttar Pradesh. He added that since there was no intelligence input about the Ambu Sheikh, so the letter of threat could be a handiwork of mischievous elements.
"The issue being sensitive, we are taking no chances and have issued a statewide alert. Patrolling has been increased and intense checking is being carried out at various places of importance including, temples, mosques, airports and railway stations across UP,” he added.
However, the ADG asked the people of the state not to panic. Among the dozen railway stations mentioned in the letter and allegedly on the target of the terror outfit include those in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Notably, five heavily armed LeT ultras had attacked makeshift Ram temple at Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex in Ayodhya on July 5, 2005.
However, the CRPF gurading the site had killed all five and a civilian was also killed as the militants had thrown a grenade to breach the cordon wall in order to reach the disputed site.
In the past, various terror outfits have targeted major religious sites like Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi and also Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the famous Dashashwamedh Ghat in the holy city. Even blasts had rocked the court premises in Lucknow and Faizabad, killing number of people in the previous decade.