Human bomb alert for Modi's Bihar visit

A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bihar visit, the intelligence agencies have warned of a possible "human bomb attack" on the lines of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, a top police officer said.

Modi is scheduled to visit Patna on Saturday and address a rally in Muzaffarpur.

"The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has alerted Bihar government and the Special Protection Group officials camping in the state to be on high alert for a possible human bomb attack against Modi during his visit to Patna and Muzaffarpur on Saturday," a top police official said.

Stating that the attack could be similar to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination by the LTTE in 1991, the IB alert has specified that well trained women Maoists may be used as a human bomb to target the prime minister during the visit, the official added.

"IB has alerted of possible attack on Modi during his visit to Bihar. The suicide bomber may target Modi disguised as a mediaperson, police official, electrician, an organiser, caterer or labourer," officials said.

Modi is scheduled to arrive here to launch Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Rashtriya Gramin Joyti Yojna and inaugurate the new campus of IIT-Patna.

He would also attend two other functions in Patna before leaving for Muzaffarpur, around 70 km from Patna, to address a public meeting.

He is likely to launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for the forthcoming state assembly polls from Muzaffarpur.

A government official said the authorities would ensure unprecedented security.

"The Bihar government will go for unprecedented security cover during Modi's rally in Muzaffarpur," a state home department official said.

Though Modi's security is looked after by the Special Protection Group, the Bihar government has directed senior officials to make special security arrangements for his rally, the official said.

Modi's rally at Gandhi Maidan here was rocked by serial bomb blasts on October 27, 2013, leaving five people dead and nearly 100 injured.