Mahabodhi Mahavihara

The Centre has deployed the Central Industrial Security Force to guard Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodhgaya, responding to a request by chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Nitish wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 29, demanding that the paramilitary force be deployed at the shrine, which witnessed a series of low-intensity blasts on July 7.

Sources in the state home department confirmed that the Union home affairs ministry had handed over security of one of the holiest of shrines of Buddhism to the CISF in response to the chief minister’s request to the Prime Minister.

Principal secretary, home department, Amir Subhani, told The Telegraph: “I am waiting for their (Union home affairs ministry) formal communication.”

Sources, however, said the chief minister’s office had already been informed by the Centre. “A formal communication is on its way,” the source said. This is the first time that a religious shrine will be guarded by the CISF. The elite force is usually deployed to guard airports, nuclear establishments and key government installations.

Nitish has already agreed that the state government will bear the CISF’s expenses for guarding the Unesco World Heritage Site where Gautam Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment about 2,600 years ago.

Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who had visited the temple along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on July 10, after the serial blasts on July 7, had initially rejected Nitish’s demand, citing the example of other places of worship that had sought CISF cover but been denied the same owing to shortage of forces.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 29, Nitish said: “It needs to be kept in mind that the Mahabodhi temple is not just another religious shrine.

Rather, this ancient temple is the holiest place for Buddhists across the world. The letter had emphasised on Buddhists’ religious sentiments vis-à-vis the shrine

“Providing CISF security cover to the temple is urgent and crucial for obvious reasons. I request you (Prime Minister) to kindly direct the ministry of home affairs to take a favourable decision at the earliest.”

In the blast, which is being probed by the National Investigation Agency, two monks were injured. Security personnel had found three unexploded bombs from the site.

Earlier, a private security agency — Cobra — was in charge of the security of the shrine. But the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee sacked it on July 16.