Seven bombs ripped thought the Pink City of Jaipur, killing around 60 people and injuring more than 150. The bombs, many strapped to bicycles, exploded within minutes of each other in the crowded markets of Jaipur, a magnet for foreign tourists. It was the deadliest bomb attack in India in nearly two years.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs has said that use of RDX and involvement of foreign hand is suspected in the blasts. Tuesday's blasts were similar to the ones in Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh and Malegaon.

Officials said the apparent motive for the bombs was to undermine a peace process between India and Pakistan or foment communal violence in India. Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee is due to visit Islamabad in just over a week to review the four-year-old peace process, his first since a new, civilian government took over in Pakistan.

The Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has reacted strongly, condemning the Jaipur blasts. She said that a strong law like POTA should be brought to contain the terror in the country which has spread everywhere and is destroying social harmony. ''We need a strong law like that in Gujarat to deal with this menace which has vitiated the atmosphere in the country and claimed innocent lives,'' she said.

Curfew has now been imposed in 15 police station areas within the walled city area of Jaipur. However, funeral processions are exempted from the purview of the curfew.

Local residents are still gripped with fear, when they recall the 20 minutes that changed their lives.

View Latest Cultural News Articles