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Evidence emerged that a hit-team of the [[National Democratic Front of Bodoland]] (NDFB) executed the bombings in Assam. This undermined earlier claims of HuJI responsibility. Police were quoted as saying a text message sent to a local television station claiming responsibility for the bombings on behalf of the hitherto unknown Islamic Security Force-Indian Mujahideen turned out to be a hoax. Assam police investigators determined that two of the three [[Maruti 800]]s used as bombs were purchased by NDFB activists less than six weeks before the attacks. Interrogation of suspects linked to the fabrication of the car-bombs led investigators to believe that there were orders to initiate the operation by the NDFB founder-chief, Ranjan Daimary, as early as September. Daimary, believed to shuttle between Bangkok, Manila and Singapore, is said to have authorised the attacks to signal frustration with the lack of progress in talks between the NDFB and the Indian government.<ref>[http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=15130 The Muslim News] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207184009/http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=15130 |date=7 December 2008 }}</ref> Following this, the Indian government decided to clamp down on the organization and other regional outfits. A ban on the NDFB, set to expire in 2008, was extended by two years. The [[Cabinet Committee on Security]] also decided to re-impose a ban on the outlawed [[ULFA]], [[Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council]] (HNLC), however, it spared the [[ANVC]].<ref>[http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov1308/at05 The Assam Tribune Online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205053008/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov1308%2Fat05 |date=5 December 2008 }}</ref> | Evidence emerged that a hit-team of the [[National Democratic Front of Bodoland]] (NDFB) executed the bombings in Assam. This undermined earlier claims of HuJI responsibility. Police were quoted as saying a text message sent to a local television station claiming responsibility for the bombings on behalf of the hitherto unknown Islamic Security Force-Indian Mujahideen turned out to be a hoax. Assam police investigators determined that two of the three [[Maruti 800]]s used as bombs were purchased by NDFB activists less than six weeks before the attacks. Interrogation of suspects linked to the fabrication of the car-bombs led investigators to believe that there were orders to initiate the operation by the NDFB founder-chief, [[Ranjan Daimary]], as early as September. Daimary, believed to shuttle between Bangkok, Manila and Singapore, is said to have authorised the attacks to signal frustration with the lack of progress in talks between the NDFB and the Indian government.<ref>[http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=15130 The Muslim News] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207184009/http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=15130 |date=7 December 2008 }}</ref> Following this, the Indian government decided to clamp down on the organization and other regional outfits. A ban on the NDFB, set to expire in 2008, was extended by two years. The [[Cabinet Committee on Security]] also decided to re-impose a ban on the outlawed [[ULFA]], [[Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council]] (HNLC), however, it spared the [[ANVC]].<ref>[http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov1308/at05 The Assam Tribune Online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205053008/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov1308%2Fat05 |date=5 December 2008 }}</ref> | ||
On 12 November, a Bhutanese man who lived in [[Nepal]] and fought against the monarchy was arrested for aiding the Assam attacks. Tenzing G. Zangpo, a senior leader of the [[Druk National Congress]] (DNC), a formation by Bhutanese exiles in Nepal, was picked up with the "home secretary" of the NDFB, Sabin Boro, from a rented house at Japorigog in Guwahati. An unknown source was quoted as saying, "After interrogation, both of them were arrested this morning on the charge of being part of the conspiracy behind October 30 blasts." The arrest attention from Bangladesh based forces to Bhutan for the first time since the probe was initiated. Police said the DNC claimed to be a political outfit opposing the alleged discrimination of Bhutanese people of Nepali origin by the monarchy since the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081113/jsp/northeast/story_10102634.jsp |title=The Telegraph; Bhutan link in Assam blasts |access-date=13 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206135242/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081113/jsp/northeast/story_10102634.jsp |archive-date=6 December 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | On 12 November, a Bhutanese man who lived in [[Nepal]] and fought against the monarchy was arrested for aiding the Assam attacks. Tenzing G. Zangpo, a senior leader of the [[Druk National Congress]] (DNC), a formation by Bhutanese exiles in Nepal, was picked up with the "home secretary" of the NDFB, Sabin Boro, from a rented house at Japorigog in Guwahati. An unknown source was quoted as saying, "After interrogation, both of them were arrested this morning on the charge of being part of the conspiracy behind October 30 blasts." The arrest attention from Bangladesh based forces to Bhutan for the first time since the probe was initiated. Police said the DNC claimed to be a political outfit opposing the alleged discrimination of Bhutanese people of Nepali origin by the monarchy since the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081113/jsp/northeast/story_10102634.jsp |title=The Telegraph; Bhutan link in Assam blasts |access-date=13 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206135242/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081113/jsp/northeast/story_10102634.jsp |archive-date=6 December 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
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Union Minister of State for Home, Shriprakash Jaiswal, also condemned the blasts and added: "The blasts will have no impact on the forthcoming Assembly elections in Mizoram. The Home Ministry has asked for a report on the serial blasts from the Assam government." He claimed that due to the sincere efforts of the ruling central coalition government, incidents of terror in the northeastern sister states had gone down by as much as 50 per cent in the last four years. | Union Minister of State for Home, Shriprakash Jaiswal, also condemned the blasts and added: "The blasts will have no impact on the forthcoming Assembly elections in Mizoram. The Home Ministry has asked for a report on the serial blasts from the Assam government." He claimed that due to the sincere efforts of the ruling central coalition government, incidents of terror in the northeastern sister states had gone down by as much as 50 per cent in the last four years. | ||
The prime minister also strongly condemning the blasts and added that his government would take all possible steps to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.<ref name="thaindian"/> Along with the [[United Progressive Alliance|UPA]] chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, were set to visit Assam on 1 November. The day before Union Home Minister, [[Shivraj Patil]], also arrived in Assam and visited blast sites in Kokrajhar and Guwahati, as well as holding a security meeting with the chief minister, and senior police and administrative officials. He said: "We shall nab the culprits involved in the blasts. Investigations are on and we should be able to come out with something concrete."<ref name="ht">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=07ddfbe5-844c-4fd3-84c1-45e5fb18442d&MatchID1=4815&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=1&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1212&PrimaryID=4815&Headline=PM%2c+Sonia+Gandhi+to+visit+Assam |title=Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi to visit Assam|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2008-11-01}}</ref> | The prime minister also strongly condemning the blasts and added that his government would take all possible steps to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.<ref name="thaindian"/> Along with the [[United Progressive Alliance|UPA]] chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, were set to visit Assam on 1 November. The day before Union Home Minister, [[Shivraj Patil]], also arrived in Assam and visited blast sites in Kokrajhar and Guwahati, as well as holding a security meeting with the chief minister, and senior police and administrative officials. He said: "We shall nab the culprits involved in the blasts. Investigations are on and we should be able to come out with something concrete."<ref name="ht">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=07ddfbe5-844c-4fd3-84c1-45e5fb18442d&MatchID1=4815&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=1&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1212&PrimaryID=4815&Headline=PM%2c+Sonia+Gandhi+to+visit+Assam |title=Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi to visit Assam|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2008-11-01}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | ||
Former Indian prime minister [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]] hinted at a call for greater national unity and what he termed a collective [[war on terror]] after the blasts. | Former Indian prime minister [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]] hinted at a call for greater national unity and what he termed a collective [[war on terror]] after the blasts. | ||