JOIN USHome Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has contradicted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in saying that the Centre had issued an alert to the state about a possible terror attack on Narendra Modi’s rally in Patna, while maintaining that the BJP prime ministerial candidate did not need a Special Protection Group (SPG) for his security.
“Now, whether it was a general or specific input is a different thing. When there is need for a specific input it is given, but whenever there are such rallies we give inputs on the possibility of an attack," he said.
Six people were killed and over 80 injured in the serial blasts around Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Sunday, just before Modi's arrival at the venue.
“We give inputs saying that a person could be attacked in 2-3 days or on so-and-so day. We keep doing that. We also provide specific inputs,” he said.
The home minister, who was at the receiving end of criticism for attending a music function in Mumbai after the serial blasts in Patna on Sunday, met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and is understood to have explained his attendance at a function where Bollywood actors were present, as opposed to reviewing the situation in Bihar.
Shinde was to visit Patna on Tuesday to review the security situation in the state but cancelled it at the last minute since Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was out of town.
On Wednesday, Kumar will fly down to Delhi where he will review the state’s situation with the home minister. On Modi's security, he said Modi has been given sufficient security and he does not need the SPG cover.
Modi has been accorded Z-plus security with round-the-clock protection by elite National Security Guard commandos.
According to the SPG Act, the specialised commando force is mandated to provide proximate security to the prime minister, former prime ministers and members of their immediate families.