Blasts leave a trail of unanswered questions

Patna,(BiharTimes): When an explosion took place in a bathroom at platform number-10 of Patna railway station on the morning of Hunkar Rally day a couple of TV channels initially reported that it was a crude bomb which injured just one person. Though it alarmed both the police and 1,700 private security guards hired by BJP many people did not take it too seriously till half a dozen more blasts took place leading to the death of six people and injuring 83.

Besides, a couple of bombs remained unexploded till the end. One of them was found not far away from the dais from where Narendra Modi and other leaders had addressed.

The serial blasts raised several serious questions. Why and how is it that these bombs could be planted so easily in so many places when there was so much activities going on in Gandhi Maidan and its vicinity from previous night. It was only on Saturday evening that President of India left the state capital. And when the President visits any town or city special security arrangement is made there. Incidentally, on October 25, that is, just two days before the same Gandhi Maidan had witnessed a big rally of the CPI.

So how is it that those who planted the bombs managed to achieve their goal amidst so much activities. The bombs were kept in such a manner that it could not be traced by thousands of those who gathered at the venue to listen to the speeches of BJP leaders, most prominently Narendra Modi.

The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, questioned as to why adequate dress rehearsal was not made and why the people were allowed to enter

Gandhi Maidan without being frisked. In all the rallies of Narendra Modi frisking is done. This happened even when he addressed in New Delhi. How is it that detonators, timers and explosives could reach inside Gandhi Maidan so easily, he asked.

Planting bombs at least take some time and that too at so many places. How is it that none of the terrorist could be captured red-handed while doing so? In fact one person was caught by the public at the railway station after the blast. Though the Gandhi Maidan blasts took place almost two hours after the explosion which took place in station and police got some lead after the arrest of one man there, yet the serial blasts could not be prevented––perhaps, timely action could have.

The serial blasts suggest that the perpetrators of the crime planned and executed their operation in a very careful manner. They not only outsmarted the police personnel but could not even be traced by the organizers of the rally, who worked throughout the night in Gandhi Maidan to give finishing touch to the arrangement.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar said that the state had got no intelligence input in this regard but Arun Jaitley, while talking to the media in New Delhi a day later, challenged it. He said that the Centre had on October 23 sounded specific alert on Hunkar Rally and ADG of Bihar was told about it.

True, body search or frisking is not so easy for such a huge rally and sometimes the crowd too is not prepared for it. But then now Gandhi Maidan is in a better position for the installation of metal detector and frisking as it has been properly fenced with gates at the four end. Yet the blasts happened now and not in the bigger rallies in the past when entering unfenced Gandhi Maidan was very easy.