Bodh Gaya blasts a terror attack: Home Ministry

A security officer inspects the site of an explosion on the campus of the Mahabodhi Temple, the Buddhist Great Awakening temple, in Bodhgaya, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Patna, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Bihar, Sunday, July 7, 2013. A series of small blasts hit three Buddhist temples in eastern India early Sunday, injuring at least two people, police said. (AP Photo/Manish Bhandari)

Serial explosions inside and outside Mahabodhi temple in Bihar were a terror attack, the Home Ministry said today as it sent NIA and NSG teams for post-blasts investigations.

“It was a terror attack,” Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami told PTI.

He, however, said so far no group has claimed responsibility for the multiple blasts and investigations were on.

Mr.Goswami said four blasts took place inside the temple complex while four occurred outside it.

The Home Secretary said teams from National Investigation Agency and National Security Guard comprising explosive experts were sent to Bihar to help the police in collection of evidence and assist in post-blasts investigation.

Two people were injured in the serial blasts early this morning in the temple town of Bodh Gaya.

States told to tighten security at Buddhist shrines

Meanwhile, the Centre on directed all States to ensure fool-proof security at Buddhist shrines and Tibetan settlements in the wake of the continuing violence between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar.

In an advisory to all States with special emphasis on cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune, the Home Ministry said adequate security must be provided to Buddhist shrines, Buddhist places of worships and Tibetian settlements.

Citing recent intelligence inputs, the Ministry said radical terrorist groups were planning to target Buddhist installations, including Bodh Gaya.

This is perhaps the first time that the Centre has issued an advisory about possible violence in the wake of the clashes in Myanmar.

The Home Ministry advisory asked the States to gear up intelligence and security mechanism and personnel strength at police stations under whose jurisdiction there is a sizeable Buddhist population or Buddhist shrines are located.

According to the United Nations, nearly 250 people have been killed in Myanmar in religious violence over the past year and about 150,000 people have been displaced.

Meanwhile, officials sources said a security review meeting held in Bodh Gaya on July 2 between the monastery and the police had suggested several security measures and deployment of additional forces as security in the premises was found to be not adequate. However, it is not immediately clear whether security was stepped up.