Nitish Kumar condemns serial blasts, cancels trip

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condemned the serial blasts ahead of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's address at a rally here today, and cancelled his scheduled trip to Munger.

Kumar has directed the police to immediately investigate the matter and said National Investigation Agency's help would be taken for the probe, an official statement said.

According to CMO sources, Kumar was scheduled to go to Munger for an international yoga conference, but the plan was cancelled in the wake of the blasts which claimed five lives.

Kumar also spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the phone about the blasts, they said.

"The chief minister's carcade was ready at his 1, Anne Marg residence to leave for the airport to fly to Munger when the visit was cancelled," the sources said.

From Munger, Kumar was scheduled to go to Rajgir in Nalanda district to attend a two-day JD(U) convention starting tomorrow.

JD(U) chief whip Shrawan Kumar, who is looking after thr arrangements at Rajgir, about 100 km from here, told PTI that the party convention would take place as per schedule.

The CMO sources said a NIA team along with other central security agencies were on their way here.

Kumar held a meeting with Chief Secretary A K Sinha, Director General of Police Abhyanand and Principal Secretary Home Amir Subhani on the law and order situation following serial bomb blasts at Patna railway station and areas near Gandhi maidan, the sources said.