NEW DELHI: The “lackadaisical attitude” of Bihar Police in handling the security at Narendra Modi’s Patna rally, which was hit by multiple blasts, has peeved the home ministry as, even three days after the explosions, live bombs were found at the venue.
“Live bombs were found at the venue after the serial blasts. Live bombs were found a day after the blasts. Live bombs were found two days after the blasts and live bombs were found three days after the blasts,” a home ministry official said, expressing frustration over the alleged carelessness of Bihar Police.
The official said that reflected how Bihar Police had acted while providing security at the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate’s public rally in Patna on October 27.
Gandhi Maidan in Patna, which was the venue for the rally, is a site of hardly 800m x 300m size and it should not be difficult for any police force to scan it before a public function, the official said.
“Live bombs were being discovered at Gandhi Maidan itself for three days after the blasts. That shows how they (Bihar Police) handled the security at the venue,” the official said.
Home ministry has already asked all states to ensure foolproof security for any visit by Modi after he was declared the BJP prime ministerial candidate.
A home ministry team, which visited Patna after the serial blasts, had also found that even though the stage, from where Modi had addressed the public, was sanitised and an anti- sabotage drill was carried out, Bihar Police officials were not ready to sign the relevant papers to that effect.
“Perhaps state police officers did not want to annoy their bosses,” another home ministry official said. (PTI)
