India Blames Pakistan for Temple Attack

The Indian government today blamed Pakistan for an attack on a Hindu temple that left 32 people dead and has raised fears of fresh communal violence.

New Delhi sent 3,000 soldiers to Gujarat state, in the west of the country, to guard against any outbreak of sectarian rioting in the wake of the attack. At least 1,000 people were killed in Gujarat earlier this year, most of them Muslims targetted by Hindu mobs.

Earlier today commandos stormed the Swaminarayan temple on the outskirts of Gandhinagar, Gujarat's capital, killing two gunmen who had attacked worshippers, priests and tourists indiscriminately with AK-47s and grenades yesterday evening. The two men died in the raid.

The attack killed 32 people, including at least one government commando, two policemen and the two attackers, while 74 people were injured.

Schools, colleges and most businesses today stayed shut in Gandhinagar and the troubled state's commercial capital, Ahmedabad, as the opposition Congress party called for a strike. The party accuses the state government of being unable to protect either Muslims or Hindus.

Witnesses last night reported several loud explosions from inside the building at 8.20pm local time.

"I saw five gunmen inside," said Balwant Shukwant Patel, 25, who was among 65 people rescued by security forces soon after the shooting began. "We were sitting under a tree when they started firing indiscriminately. We thought someone was setting off firecrackers. People started running here and there."

Gurumukh Palwani, 40, who managed to escape from the temple with his two children, said: "I heard a loud noise and gunshots. I didn't know what was happening. Then we were told by the temple trustees to get inside a room. Thank God I am alive."

India's deputy prime minister, Lal Krishna Advani, described the shooting as a suicide attack and hinted that it was the work of Pakistani-based Islamist militants. The gunmen were trying to wreck elections in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

"The enemies of this country feel that whatever developments are taking place in Jammu and Kashmir will strengthen India's position, so they think a big incident will help them."

Mr Advani referred to a speech that Pakistan's military leader, General Pervez Musharraf, made to the United Nations earlier this month when he condemned the killings of Muslims in Gujarat.

"Our enemy went to the United Nations and spoke about Gujarat," he told reporters at the temple site. "From that, it appears they had been planning for some time and this attack has been executed to implement their designs."

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan to the allegations but it condemned the attack.

New Delhi has persistently accused Islamabad of allowing Pakistani-based militants to infiltrate the country and attack the Indian army and civilians.

Following intense pressure from Washington and London Gen Musharraf announced five months ago that infiltration had ended - but there are increasing signs that it has quietly resumed.