Bodh Gaya blasts: Digvijaya hints at Modi link, draws ridicule

The politics over the Bodhgaya blasts took an ugly turn with Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh hinting at a possible “connection” with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and accusing the BJP for targeting Muslims. HT reports.

The politics over the Bodhgaya blasts took an ugly turn with Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh hinting at a possible “connection” with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and accusing the BJP for targeting Muslims.

In retaliation, the BJP said it looks as though Singh has lost his balance as he was trying to find non-existent motives.

Tweeting on the terror attack, Singh took a potshot at Modi, saying: “Amit Shah (BJP general secretary) promises a grand temple at Ayodhya. Modi addresses Bihar BJP workers and asks them to teach Nitish (Bihar CM) a lesson… next day, bomb blasts at Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya. Is there a connect? I don’t know.”

Singh later said, “The BJP also gave statements linking the persecution of Muslims in Myanmar to this incident. They are clearly targeting Muslims and I want to say to all that for god’s sake, let the NIA complete the investigation.”

As Singh, one of the bitterest critics of Modi, referred to the Gujarat strongman’s recent address to BJP workers in Bihar, the BJP hit back with general secretary Ananth Kumar saying, “He talks as if he has lost his balance.”

BJP veteran and former human resource development minister Murali Manohar Joshi said, “Singh has the habit of seeing things where they are not.”

Talking to reporters after a meeting with Modi, Joshi said the Bodhgaya blasts have given “a new angle to the threat perception”.Joshi also expressed concern that universities in Nalanda and Sanchi may become possible targets in the future.

Singh, however, also came down on the Nitish Kumar government and said, “If there were IB inputs (about possible terror attacks), then the state government should not have left the security of a place as important as the Mahabodhi Temple in private hands.”

See Digvijaya Singh's tweets here

Former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi hit out at chief minister Nitish Kumar calling his visit to the Buddhist pilgrim town after Sunday's blasts as mere 'eyewash'.

Modi, who is sitting on a 24-hour fast in protest against the terror attack, told newsmen that the serial blasts could have been averted had adequate security arrangements been put in place at Mahabodhi temple and adjoining areas after the alerts.

Kumar, however, rejected Opposition charge that his government had failed to act on alerts on possible terror strike at Bodhgaya temple and said it would make a formal request to NIA to probe the serial blasts.

The state government would also propose to the Centre to ask CISF to take over the security of the historic Mahabodhi shrine, he told reporters.

The RSS utilised the occasion to target the government over its "lack of will" to counter terrorism.

"Due to the lack of will on the part of our government to deal conclusively with the activities of terrorists with a heavy hand, the terrorists are succeeding in their nefarious designs. The need of the hour is for all to rise above partisan politics to deal with this menace decisively," Sangh's propaganda chief Manmohan Vaidya said.

Condemning the blasts, CPI(M) said no effort should be spared to nab the culprits.

In a statement, the CPI Central Secretariat also condemned the Bodhgaya blasts and said such incidents created discord among communities.

It asked the government to take steps to maintain peace and tranquillity among the people and bring the culprits to book.