New Delhi, July 25 : Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today condemned the serial blasts in Bangalore.

"This is a cowardly act and people who want to disturb the peace of the country are behind it," she said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly condemned the serial blasts and asked the people to remain calm and maintain communal harmony.

He announced Rs. One lakh ex-gratia to the next of kin of each of the deceased. Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said the party president has also offered her condolences and sympathy for those killed and injured in the blast.

New Delhi, July 25 : Union Home Minister Sivraj Patil today said after nine bomb blasts in Bangalore that the Centre was ready to amend the law to allow the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to provide security cover for the billion dollar Information Technology industry there.

Shortly after multiple blasts rocked Bangalore and claimed two lives, Patil told reporters here that there has been a constant demand from the IT industry that the expertise of CISF personnel be also made available to the private sector for security duties.

New Delhi, July 25 : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today inaugurated the “Roshini Project”, to make Rashtrapati Bhavan green and environment friendly, on the occasion of completing one year in office.

President Patil said that this Project will add another dimension to the President’s Estate and urged the residents to take part in the Project to make it a success.

She said the environment is a subject of great discussion around the world and this is a timely project contributing to the improvement of environment.

New Delhi, July 25 : Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today chaired the fourth meeting of the National Committee of Ter-Centenary of Guru-Ta-Gaddi of Shri Guru Granth Sahib here today.

The meeting was co-chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

The committee reviewed the progress of the work being undertaken at Nanded and at Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo (Damdama Sahib).

It was stressed that the event in Nanded in October-November 2008 will witness one of the largest gathering of devotees and facilities for the pilgrims were of utmost priority.

New Delhi, July 25 : The Japan-US alliance should be expanded with inclusion of countries like India, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Korea for better strategic and economic safety and better coordination in the fight against terrorism, a Japanese scholar has said.

The suggestion came from Professor Robert D Eldridge, Director of the US-Japan Alliance Affairs Division, Center for International Security Studies and Policy, Osaka University, while delivering a talk on “The Japan-US Alliance in Asia: Challenges and Prospects” at Observer Research Foundation, a public policy think tank based in New Delhi.

New Delhi, July 25 : Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh today said that t