Mohabodhi, Shirdi temples may get CISF security

The Centre on Wednesday promised to consider requests for Central Industrial Security Force security to Mohabodhi temple and other prominent religious places in the wake of Sunday's terror attack.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who visited the Mohabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, on Wednesday said that after the serial blasts, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had requested him to provide CISF protection, which so far has not been given the task of protecting any religious site. He said that the Maharashtra government has also sought CISF security for the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi.

"The Bihar government said it would bear the expenses for the CISF security. Some time ago, Maharashtra government has also written to us to provide CISF security to the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi for which the (Saibaba) Trust is ready to pay. We will have to examine it. We will have to examine the CISF Act also before taking any decision," he said.

The home minister said for a very long time various religious places across the country have been under threat from terrorist groups. "The Mahalaxmi temple in Mumbai, Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai, Akshardham temple and others. We have been alerting them. Police always assess the inputs and accordingly take action for the protection of these religious places," he said.

Asked about the probe into terror attack at Mohabodhi temple, Shinde said the National Investigation Agency is looking into all possible angles including the purported claim by Indian Mujahideen in a Twitter account about carrying out the blasts and any possible link with the issue of alleged atrocities on the Rohangiya Muslims in Myanmar.

"The NIA will look into everything. Till the probe is completed, I cannot say anything. The NIA has been given the task of conducting the investigation. They will do it in detail," Shinde said.

Asked whether there was any gap in providing security to the Mohabodhi temple despite intelligence inputs by central intelligence agencies, the home minister said he was not aware of it but NIA will look into all such issues and action will be taken accordingly. He said the Gaya district administration had reviewed the security of the Mohabodhi temple on July 3 and took certain security measures for the protection of the Buddhist shrine.

Asked why the February 21 twin explosions in Hyderabad could not be cracked so far despite giving the case to the NIA, Shinde said the probe was taken over by the agency a bit late but in the Mohabodhi temple blasts case, the government had acted swiftly.

Shinde, who visited the blasts site along with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party leader Ambika Soni, said three to four persons may be involved in the attack. "We are conducting complete investigations. Three-four people may be involved...with a car. We are conducting detailed investigations," Shinde said.

Asked why no arrests have been made in the case, he said, "Arresting anyone in a hurry is not right. Investigators should go into detail and catch hold of the real culprits."

On the possibility of the involvement of Naxals in the Bodh Gaya blasts, he said, "There are so many complex problems. Infiltration from other countries is there, Naxalites are there, local communal disturbances are there. We have to see all angles."

Image: The Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar