Security forces in Madhya Pradesh were on high alert on Saturday as a letter allegedly from Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba threatening to blow up several railway stations, bus stands and temples, including the Ujjain Mahakal temple and Sai temple, across the state, Rajasthan and Gujarat on October 20 and November 9 surfaced.
The handwritten threat letter allegedly from Maulvi Abu Sheikh, area commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi, was received on September 29 at the office of railway station manager, Jaipur. Threatening revenge for the deaths of all jihadis, it said: “This time we will celebrate Dussehra and Diwali with bombs.”
While there was no such untoward incident reported on October 20, which was mentioned in the threat letter, the security agencies remain on high alert before November 9, which is the second date specified for the blasts, as mentioned in the letter.
Notifying them about the threat, the Special Branch of the Madhya Pradesh police asked the deputy inspector generals of police of Indore and Bhopal, all district superintendents of police, and superintendents of police (railway) to increase security at railway stations, bus stands and places of worship.
A few months back, a similar letter, threatening to blow up Hindu pilgrimage sites like the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, written by the same area commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, had kept the Uttar Pradesh police authorities on high alert.
The police alert had reportedly stated that the Pakistan based terror organisation might target railway stations at Saharanpur and Hapur and religious places in Mathura and Kashi on 8th and 9th June. The letter reportedly claimed 26/11 style attacks at the above-mentioned locations.