Centre peeved at Bihar Police's handling of Narendra Modi security

NEW DELHI: The "lackadaisical attitude" of Bihar Police in handling the security at Narendra Modi's Patna rally, which was hit by multiple blasts, has peeved the Home Ministry as, even three days after the explosions, live bombs were found at the venue.

"Live bombs were found at the venue after the serial blasts. Live bombs were found a day after the blasts. Live bombs were found two days after the blasts and live bombs were found three days after the blasts," a Home Ministry official said, expressing frustration over the alleged carelessness of Bihar Police.

The official said that reflected how Bihar Police had acted while providing security at the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate's public rally in Patna on October 27.

Gandhi Maidan in Patna, which was the venue for the rally, is a site of hardly 800m x 300m size and it should not be difficult for any police force to scan it before a public function, the official said.

"Live bombs were being discovered at Gandhi Maidan itself for three days after the blasts. That shows how they (Bihar Police) handled the security at the venue," the official said.

Home Ministry has already asked all states to ensure foolproof security for any visit by Modi after he was declared the BJP prime ministerial candidate.

A Home Ministry team, which visited Patna after the serial blasts, had also found that even though the stage, from where Modi had addressed the public, was sanitised and an anti- sabotage drill was carried out, Bihar Police officials were not ready to sign the relevant papers to that effect.

"Perhaps state police officers did not want to annoy their bosses," another Home Ministry official said.

The Centre has already upgraded Modi's security by ensuring that an advance foolproof drill is held wherever he goes ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The move will ensure that Modi's rally venues are sanitised the same way as is done for the SPG protectees like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.

The drill, called the Advance Security Liaison (ASL), will see Modi's security detail ensure anti-sabotage checks while the venue is sanitised well in advance in close coordination with local police.

Besides, door-frame metal detectors will be installed at each entry point into the venue and each visitor would be thoroughly checked through multi-layered frisking with hand-held metal detectors.

Every minute of Modi's itinerary will be documented in writing by the police of the state hosting him and will be monitored by officials from the state government and other security agencies.

Multiple blasts at Modi's Patna rally claimed six lives and injured more than 80.