Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 93rd Indian Science Congress in Hyderabad with homage to Professor M C Puri who fell to a terrorist's bullets at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore last week.

"I would, at the very outset, like to pay homage to the memory of Prof M C Puri, who was gunned down in the greatest temple of Indian science by the most reprehensible and cowardly enemies of our people. Dr Puri was a soldier of knowledge. He lived a life of peace, dedicated to science and education. No civilised people can condone such an uncivilised act," Dr Singh said in his opening remarks at the Science Congress.

"It is a symbol of the success of Indian science and technology, of our emergence as a knowledge power that the symbols and temples of our knowledge society are today being targeted by terrorists," the Prime Minister said. 

He expressed confidence that "...all our knowledge workers will close ranks and join the struggle to make India a great nation, a humane and modern nation, a knowledge power. No force on the earth can weaken this resolve of the Indian people."