Blast at bus stand in J-K's Udhampur city, 2nd one within hours
Udhampur/Jammu(PTI): A blast in a bus parked at a stand in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur city on Thursday morning, the second within a few hours, sent security agencies in a tizzy as they sounded a high alert, sources said.
The roof and the backside of the bus were blown away by the blast that occurred around 5.30 am on Thursday but no one was injured, they said.
The incidents occurred just days ahead of the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah starting October 4. He was supposed to embark on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on September 30 and hold public meetings in Rajouri on October 1 and Baramulla on October 2. However, the visit was rescheduled.
On Wednesday night, a blast occurred in an empty bus parked near a petrol pump at Domail Chowk, injuring two people, sources said, adding the bus used to be parked at the spot daily.
The bus on which the second blast occurred had come from Basantgarh in Udhampur district and was on night halt at the bus stand. It was scheduled to leave for Basantgarh in the morning.
DIG of Udhampur-Reasi range Suleman Choudary said two to three buses have suffered damage in the blasts. "The nature of explosives and other things are under investigation. It needs a detailed probe," he said.
The people injured have been questioned and terror angle cannot be ruled out, the police officer said. An alert has been sounded by the police and people have been asked to check their vehicles for any suspicious items.
Personnel of the police and other security forces have cordoned off the bus stand and all vehicles are being checked thoroughly before allowing them to resume services.
All vehicles which left the bus stand before the blast occurred in the morning will be stopped at checkpoints and thoroughly checked, officials said.
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Will contest for CM's post if there is leadership change, says senior MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa
Davangere (Karnataka), Sep 11: Senior Congress MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa on Wednesday said he will also be in the contest for the Chief Minister post if the legislators support him, in the event of leadership change in Karnataka.
The 93-year-old, however, said the incumbent CM Siddaramaiah is running a good administration and added: "let him continue until he has the blessings of the high command."
"There is no question of senior or junior in politics. Whomever majority of the elected legislators support, high command says yes to them, that's the practice. If the situation comes, I will also contest, I won't leave," Shivashankarappa told reporters.
His son, S S Mallikarjun, is a Minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet, while daughter-in-law Prabha Mallikarjun is Davangere MP.
"I said, I will, the legislators should first accept and support me," he said when asked if he is in the race being the senior-most MLA.
ALSO READ: CM post not vacant, no doubt that I will continue in the position, asserts Siddaramaiah
Shivashankarappa joined the list of party leaders weighing in for the Chief Minister's post in the event of leadership change in Karnataka, while maintaining that the incumbent will continue in the position.
As Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the Governor's sanction for his prosecution in a site allotment case is being heard in the High Court, some Congress leaders seem to be preparing for a race to become CM, in case of leadership change.
Making it clear that the Chief Minister post in the state is not vacant for anyone to weigh in to occupy it now, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asserted that there are no doubts in this regard and he will continue in the position.
