Patna,(BiharTimes): Reports from the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the Bihar Police refused to sign on the Advance Security Liaison (ASL) report for Hunkar rally in Patna as it feared the Nitish government if they undertake any security step outside the protocol. 

An ASL involves an advance check of all security procedures required for a VIP visit and a proper security drill ahead of the event. 

A report published in the Economic Times said that the Gujarat Police had last week claimed that though Bihar Police officers agreed to join the ASL after "great persuasion," they refused to sign the ASL report "for reasons best known to them." 

It needs to be recalled that a home ministry team led by home secretary Anil Goswami, visited Patna on Tuesday and did raise this matter with the Bihar Police, only to be indicated that the police officers thought they should not be seen going out of the way by extending ASL to Modi’s visit.

Bihar DGP Abhayanand had said last week that there was “no need for ASL as per the report on the specific protectee, Narendra Modi.”

The home ministry is now asking all states that ASL should be provided to Modi and other NSG protectees if necessary, and in case of any doubt, the home ministry should be contacted.

According to the daily the Bihar Police has, meanwhile, defended its security arrangements for the Hunkar Rally before the visiting home ministry team. The Bihar DGP is said to have impressed before the ministry team that ASL was conducted for the dais and the D-security area in front of the main stage (not the entire venue) and that is why no bomb could be planted in the D-area. 

"The Bihar Police also informed the ministry officials that nearly 8,500 police personnel were posted at the venue and in Patna city for bandobast duty on the day of the rally. The break-up provided was 10 superintendents of police, 27 deputy superintendents of police, 91 inspectors, 1305 sub-inspectors, 701 assistant sub-inspectors, 4,930 constables, 550 personnel of the armed police and 710 lady constables," a ministry official was quoted in the Economic Times. 

The Bihar Police also told the home ministry that there were some door-frame metal detectors in place, but the terrorists had apparently coated the bombs with a carbon layer to avoid detection by metal detectors. A ministry official, however, said the deployment seemed "more on paper than in real" and there were major short-comings in the security at the BJP rally.