Shinde’s tour to Pune was cancelled at last minute

The busy JM Road was struck by four low-intensity blasts a few hours after newly appointed Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde cancelled his visit to the city.

The busy JM Road was struck by four low-intensity blasts a few hours after newly appointed Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde cancelled his visit to the city.

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Also, one of the blast site – Bal Gandharva Rangmandir – is hardly 50m away from the place where members of India Against Corruption (IAC) have been fasting for eight days.

Shinde, who took charge of the home ministry on Wednesday itself, was to attend the Lokmanya Tilak Puraskar function organised by the Tilak Smarak Trust at 6 pm.

However, after the blasts Union home ministry officials initially went into a shell, partly because there was no clarity if terrorists were behind the serial explosions or some “mischief-makers” as the Pune police claimed.

The Centre, however, took no chances and sent teams of the NIA and explosive experts to the city.

Home secretary RK Singh later acknowledged that the terrorist angle could not be ruled out since the blasts were a “planned attack”.

In Delhi, Shinde said that he was to visit Pune, but the tour was cancelled at the last minute. “I cannot reveal more. The matter is under inquiry,” he said.

After the blasts, the police cordoned off entire area and asked the IAC members to shift temporarily from their venue.

Congress state unit chief Manikrao Thakre was to visit the Bal Gandharva Rangamandir, but he too cancelled his plans.

Pune police commissioner Gulabrao Pol said, “It appears to be work of mischief-makers.”

However, central home secretary RK Singh in Delhi said: “We are investigating the case. We do not want to rule out anything.”