Bomb Blast

A bomb blast that killed nine at a German bakery in Pune, India is threatening to derail peace talks with neighboring Pakistan though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. “A day after the blast ripped through a cafe popular with foreigners and sent shock waves through India, Hindu nationalist leaders have demanded that bilateral talks, scheduled for February 25, be called off. The leaders on Sunday blamed Pakistan for involvement in the deadly blast, though no group has yet claimed responsibility and there is no evidence to suggest Pakistani links. Arun Jaitley, a leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said ‘India’s initiative to hold peace talks with Pakistan is misconceived and adventurous’.

Prerna Suri, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in the Indian capital, New Delhi, said ‘if there is a Pakistani link established to this attack, it will definitely have an impact on these very crucial talks’.”