New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on September 24 night strongly condemned terrorist attack on Swaminarayan temple in Gandhinagar and asked the government to take urgent steps to evacuate all the pilgrims trapped in the temple as also to nab those responsible for the crime.

"I am shocked by the terrorists attack on the hallowed shrine, Swaminarayan temple (Ashar Dham). I condemn this outrageous act with all the force at my command," Gandhi told reporters at her residence.

Gandhi, who was earlier telephonically briefed by the Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani about the attack, said her heart goes out in sympathy to all the pious devotees who have become innocent victims and their affected families.

"I am sure that the security forces will bring the situation under control at the earliest." Gandhi said and appealed all the sections of the people to exercise restraint and extend full cooperation to the law enforcing agencies.

Advani, she said, had told her that the government was taking all steps to evacuate the trapped devotees.

Asked what was the need of the hour, Gandhi said all those trapped should be evacuated safely as also to catch and punish those responsible for it.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on September 24 condemned the terrorist attack on the Akshar Dham temple in Gandhinagar and said it was an act of those forces who have no faith in secularism and Indian Democracy.

In a statement, Patel, who is political secretary to Congress president, said the dastardly attack on the sacred temple was an assault on the very foundation of Gujarati culture.

"In India, we may belong to different political ideologies but when it comes to a threat to the unity and integrity of the nation we stand united as one. Let no one have any illusions on this score," he said hoping that the state government would be able to meet the challenge posed by the terrorists and ensure that they were flushed out and apprehended immediately.

PTI