Khurshid flays Modi for going ahead with Patna rally after blasts

Union minister Salman Khurshid has criticised BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for going ahead with the Patna rally on Sunday despite the blasts, saying "after an event like this happens, you should give up whatever happens".

Union minister Salman Khurshid on Monday criticised BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for going ahead with the Patna rally on Sunday despite the blasts, saying "after an event like this happens, you should give up whatever happens".

He also defended home minister Sushilkumar Shinde for attending a Bollywood film music launch a few hours after the blasts.

Criticising Modi for going ahead with the rally, the external affairs minister said "after an event like this happens, you should give up whatever happens. The script was not changed. Was the rally suspended or given up?"

The Union minister slammed Modi saying that instead of attending to those injured in the blasts he went ahead with the rally.

"Should you not attend to people who were hurt? Should you not try to find out what has happened? He continued with his speech ....much worse....much worse," he said.

He said there was no word about the people who died or what had happened because it was not in his script.

Khurshid defended Shinde for attending a music release of a film just hours after the blast.

"Shinde has a life beyond Patna....and the awful thing that happened."

"The law and order was the responsibility of the state government and if the state government was to ask Shinde or the Home Ministry to take over something, he would be there on the phone," he said.

The union minister took on Modi for criticising the Congress party on the issue of dynasty politics. Referring to Maneka and Varun Gandhi, he said the (Gandhi) family that irks Modi so much are also a part of BJP.

"There is a very eminent leader in BJP Mrs Maneka Gandhi and Mr Varun Gandhi, a young and bright general secretary of the party. For him (Modi), if you leave Congress, then you are not a part of the family but if you are in Congress, then your are a part of the (Gandhi) family."