Travel alert issued against India

India yesterday reacted angrily to travel advisories issued by the United States and other countries that warned of the possibility of terrorist attacks during the Diwali festival season.
Security has been heightened in many Indian cities in recent days, and the advisories warned visitors to be vigilant after media reports cited an increased risk of militant attacks.
But tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahay dismissed the advice as "nothing but scaremongering" that would damage the tourism industry during its peak season for overseas business.
India has been hit by a series of attacks in recent years, with the latest incident in September when 14 people were killed outside the New Delhi High Court. No one has been charged over the attack.
Islamist militants killed 166 people in Mumbai in 2008 in a siege of the city that led to many tourists cancelling holidays to India.
The US embassy warned "last week of possible terrorist attacks throughout India".