Thursday, December 29 2005 15:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Condoling the death of retired IIT professor M C Puri in the attack at IISc in Bangalore, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi today (Dec 29,2005) said the message should be loud and clear to enemies of the country that India will not be cowed down by such dastardly acts.

"It is a sombre moment. It is a time for heightening our vigil and strengthening our resolve. Let the message go out loud and clear that India will not be cowed down by such dastardly attacks and that we will not allow enemies of India to thwart our progress, symbolised in many ways by the Indian Institute of Sciences and by Bangalore itself," Gandhi said in a message.

Expressing grief over the killing of the retired IIT professor, Gandhi said, "I was shocked by what happened at the Indian Institute of Sciences yesterday. I extend my condolences to the Puri family and my prayers are also with the families of those battling for their lives."

Suspected terrorists had barged into the IISc campus last evening and sprayed bullets indiscriminately, killing Puri and wounding four others.