Terror target: Mandir on Tuesday, Masjid on Friday

Wed, May 14 09:35 AM
Be it the attack in New Delhi that came before Id-Diwali, the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi or the blasts at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad or the explosion on Tuesday at the Hanuman Mandir in Jaipur, there's a chilling pattern to these acts of terror: target places of worship or 'religious' occasions that draw the maximum people.
The intention is not only to cause maximum loss of human lives but also to inflame communal passions and hope it escalates to a bloody showdown between communities.
Targets and dates have been carefully chosen. A close look at recent attacks reveals the sinister design: Hindu temples have been targeted on Tuesdays, an auspicious day for the devotees of Hanuman, while Muslims and their mosques have been attacked on Fridays.
Consider this:
* Sankat Mochan Temple, Varanasi March 7, 2006: Twin blasts in city left 28 dead, injured over 100. Blasts took place on Tuesday when the temple is packed with devotees.
* Jama Masjid, Delhi April 14, 2006: Low intensity blasts at India's most famous mosque left 14 injured. First blast took place as the faithful prepared for Friday prayers.
* Noorani Masjid, Malegaon September 8, 2006: Blasts on Friday coincided with the Shab-e-Barat. First bomb went off outside Masjid. Blasts at Mushaira Chowk and graveyard too. The toll: 38 killed, over 200 injured.
* Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad May 18, 2007: 14 persons killed, more than 50 injured in blasts and subsequent police firing in adjoining areas. Blasts took place during Friday prayers.
* Ajmer Sharif Dargah October 11, 2007: Terror struck the revered Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti as thousands were breaking their Ramzan fast, a day before the Friday prayers. The bomb inside the complex killed two persons and injured another 28.