Sushil Modi condemns blasts in Bodh Gaya, critical of Centre, Nitish

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday condemned the terror attack in the internationally renowned temple town of Bodh Gaya, and lashed out at the Centre and Nitish Kumar Government for what he called their ' failure' to provide adequate security to the Buddhist shrine.

"We condemn the terror attack on Mahabodhi temple and adjoining areas in no uncertain terms and thank God that there were no casualties in the serial blasts," he said.

Modi, who visited the blast sites, said that no measures were taken to prevent the attack despite intelligence warnings.

"We have information that the intelligence and NIA officials had tipped off the state government about the likelihood of a terror attack on the Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya and held a meeting with the state officials to review the security situation at the terror targets," said Modi.

"Yet, no concrete steps were taken by the state government to improve the security deployment at the Buddhist temple town which led to the serial blasts this morning," he added.

The Bihar BJP has called for a daylong shutdown in Gaya on Monday to protest against the multiple blasts in the temple town.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who also visited Bodh Gaya for an on the spot assessment of the situation after the serial blasts, today appealed to the Centre to give the security responsibility of the attacked temple to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

"After today's incident, the security will be strengthened. And I would want and appeal to the Central Government that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) should take the responsibility for security of the temple as amongst all the installations it is the most powerful," he told the media here.

Kumar further said the guilty would be duly punished.

"All the necessary investigations related to this blast will take place and all of us together along with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and our state police will surely find out whoever is involved in this heinous crime and will give strict punishment," he said.

Eight serial explosions rocked the internationally renowned temple town of Bodhgaya, including four in the Mahabodhi Temple complex, injuring two monks in the blasts suspected to be engineered by some terrorist organisation.

While four blasts took place inside the Mahabodhi Temple complex, three occurred in Karmapa monastery, one each near the 80-ft Buddha statue and at the bus stand near bypass. The blasts took place between 5:30 to 5:58 a.m.

Teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guards (NSG) are presently at the blasts site.

An alert has been issued in the entire state with additional security forces being deployed at all religious places.