Centre alerted Bihar govt., says Shinde

The Centre on Tuesday said it had alerted the Bihar government about possible terror attack on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally in Patna which was rocked by serial blasts on Sunday.

“We have said that we had given input (about Patna rally). Now, if it was a general alert or specific input, that is a different thing. Whenever there is specific input we give but whenever there are such rallies we give input saying you have rally in your state so there could be a possibility of an attack,” he told reporters here.

He was replying to a question whether the Central government had alerted the Bihar government beforehand about possible terror attack on Mr. Modi’s rally.

Multiple blasts rocked in and around the rally venue in Patna on Sunday claiming six lives and injuring more than 80 people.

“We give input saying you could be attacked in 2-3 days or so and so day. We keep doing that. We also give specific input,” he said on the sidelines of a function organised on the occasion of the 74th raising day of CRPF.

Mr. Shinde said the Home Ministry had given alerts to all states with regard to rallies and asking the state police forces to beef up security.

The Home Minister, who was supposed to visit Patna on Tuesday to review security in Bihar but cancelled it, said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would travel to Delhi on Wednesday and they would meet to take stock of the law and order situation there.

“The Bihar Chief Minister will meet me tomorrow. I was supposed to go today but he has a meeting in Rajgir. So, he would not be in Patna. Hence, I have sent the Union Home Secretary, Additional Secretary and NIA chief. They will go there and report me back. Tomorrow, I will talk to Kumar,” he said.