Ambika Soni, Sushilkumar Shinde and Sonia Gandhi at the news meet outside Mahabodhi Mahavihara on Wednesday. Picture by Suman

Bodhgaya, July 10: Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde today virtually rejected chief minister Nitish Kumar’s demand for CISF security at the Mahabodhi temple but refused to join the Opposition in blaming him for ignoring a terror alert.

“There is a demand from the Jama Masjid, Sai Baba temple and several other religious shrines for CISF deployment. But we have, so far, not spared CISF for securing religious places owing to shortage of forces,” Shinde said in reply to a query on the Bihar CM’s “express proposal” for CISF. He, however, added, “The demand for deploying CISF at religious places is under consideration.” Shinde was briefing reporters after reviewing NIA’s probe into Bihar’s first-ever terror attack. Accompanied by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir affairs, Ambika Soni, Shinde was visiting Bodhgaya four days after Sunday’s serial blasts.

Shinde junked BJP chief Rajnath Singh’s charge that the state government failed to respond to intelligence inputs of a threat to the Buddhist site or that central security forces failed to work in coordination with state forces to abort the bid. “The deputy inspector general (DIG), Gaya, had reviewed security around the shrine on July 3 and the state government had apprised the home ministry about it as a follow-up on inputs given in October and before. Central agencies, too, did their bit,” Shinde said. “All the measures taken will be examined”.

Sonia Gandhi refused to take questions. She, however, led Shinde, Soni and Union home secretary Anil Goswami in performing puja at the sanctum sanctorum. “The leaders lighted ceremonial candles and offered flower rosaries before the main golden plate statue of Lord Buddha,” Aryapal Bhikhu, a monk who escorted them, said.

Sonia, Shinde and Soni entered the Mahabodhi Mahavihara premises at 11.40 am and spent half an hour in the main temple’s premises. State ministers Bijendra Yadav and Shahid Ali Khan had received them at the Gaya international airport.

Shinde clarified that NIA formally took over the blast probe on Monday on the state government’s recommendation. “Earlier, the NIA, NSG and state security agencies were carrying out investigation in coordination with each other.”

Asked who could be behind the blast, Shinde said: “It is still too early to jump to a conclusion. The NIA is investigating all possible angles — Islamic terrorists, Naxalites and other groups. No angles will be left untouched. The NIA is doing its work in a detailed and comprehensive manner.”

Shinde said he had personally inspected the sites of all 10 blasts. “Thirteen bombs weighing 2-3 kg had been planted. Ten bombs went off, all between 5 and 6 am. Initial investigations say they had been planted between 12 midnight and 2 am on Sunday”.

Asked about the almost 12-hour delay before central agencies reached Bodhgaya, the home minister said, “I had constituted the NIA and NSG teams for Bodhgaya at 9 am on Sunday itself. The plane, too, had been arranged by then. But it got caught in rough winds and inclement weather and could not land in time. The teams came in another plane only after the weather condition improved.”

Shine condemned the attack saying, “The attack on the land where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment and spread the message of ahimsa to the world is highly abominable. It is matter of serious concern.”

There was tight security around the central VIPs when they visited the shrine and town. The administration had clamped Section 144 around the Mahabodhi temple, removing all makeshift shops and stalls.