(Top) Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi

Patna, July 12: Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today hurled nine questions at chief minister Nitish Kumar on the serial blasts in Bodhgaya, demanding point-to-point replies.

Expressing his surprise over the chief minister’s statement claiming that there was no security lapse in Bodhgaya, Modi said Nitish himself had conceded there was a security lapse. He also pointed out that the chief minister was not in Bodhgaya when the Union home minister had come to inspect the Mahabodhi temple four days after the blasts with the chiefs of internal security.

“The chief minister, who looks after the home affairs in the state, sent junior minister Shahid Ali Khan to Bodhgaya that day. Doesn’t it reveal the chief minister’s lack of concern for the terror attack on one of the holiest shrines of Buddhism?” Modi asked.

Modi had earlier asked Nitish 10 questions on the alleged failure of the state government to come to the rescue of Bihari pilgrims trapped in Uttarakhand. The chief minister did not bother to respond. Unperturbed, Modi today lobbed another set of questions at Nitish on the serial blasts.

The former deputy chief minister said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) reached Bodhgaya more than 13 hours after the explosions. In between, rain wiped out evidence. “Why did NIA and NSG take such a long time to arrive?” asked the former deputy chief minister.

He also sought to know why the state government took three days to write to the Centre for a NIA probe into the blasts.

Modi asked: “Why there was a delay of more than four years for the approval of the formation of the ATS despite a threat to the internal security in the state? Why there was a delay in constituting the ATS police stations in the state despite the cabinet approval in April. Doesn’t the state government consider the internal security and anti-terrorist measures a priority?”

He also sought explanation on why no measures were taken despite repeated warnings from central intelligence agencies.

Modi asked the chief minister to explain why the responsibility of internal security of the Mahabodhi temple was given to a private security agency not even registered with the state government. “Couldn’t policemen guard the holy shrine?” he asked.

He also pointed out that the number of CCTV cameras on the temple campus was inadequate and they became defunct at night hours.

Modi pulled up the Nitish-led government for the dilapidated boundary wall around the temple and the fact that it was only four 4ft high. “Isn’t the failure of strengthening the boundary wall a failure and negligence on behalf of the state government?” he asked.