Gujarat: Hoax email delays budget session in a by an hour, MLAs evacuated

Gandhinagar: Gujarat's budget session was hit by an extraordinary disruption on Wednesday morning when the assembly received an email threatening to bomb the complex at 2.11pm. Minutes before proceedings were due to begin at 9am, the MLAs, employees and visitors were evacuated, while bomb disposal and dog squads swept the building. However, nothing suspicious was found and the session resumed an hour late, with legislators from both sides calling for strict action against those responsible.Following the search, Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty confirmed the threat, allegedly sent by a Khalistani extremist outfit, was a hoax. "The email was sent from a Gmail ID. It contained English and transliterated Punjabi words," he said, adding that a case would be registered and an investigation launched. It also mentioned a deadline linked to March 25, when the ongoing budget session is scheduled to conclude.In what is possibly an unprecedented event, the assembly received a mail claiming that a bomb had been planted in the complex. An announcement was made to evacuate the building and MLAs as well as secretariat staff were seen scurrying down the stairs from the second floor and moving to Dwarka hall in Swarnim Sankul 2.Minister Arjun Modhwadia said, "The police is doing its job. A search is being conducted, and everyone's safety is paramount." Another minister Pravin Mali said, "This is a sensitive issue and the police are doing their job in conducting a thorough search of the premises."BJP MLA Mahesh Kaswala said that the intention behind the threat email is to disturb Gujarat's peace. "They sent such threat emails to schools and courts in the past, and now to the assembly. The state govt has taken this threat seriously," he said.Congress MLA Imran Khedawala also demanded strict action against those sending such emails frequently. He added that in the recent past, several schools and courts in Ahmedabad have received such threats, and now the assembly too has been targeted. "The govt must initiate strict action against those responsible for this," he said.After question hour, Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar raised a point of information, seeking details on the bomb threat. "An atmosphere of fear spread in this house and proceedings were delayed by an hour. Schools, colleges, courts, govt offices and airports have received such threats and now the assembly too. We would like to have information."Speaker Shankar Chaudhary said the assembly received the threat email in the morning and he informed the CM, deputy CM and the DGP of the threat email immediately. "Police check the assembly thoroughly every day. But as a precautionary measure, I got the assembly checked again. Gujarat is not frightened by such mails. The state has faced terror attacks fearlessly in the past," he said.