GAYA, July 8, 2013: The serial blasts that rocked the holy city of Bodh Gaya on Sunday morning have exposed vital security lapses and district police and civil officials were literally caught napping despite long-time apprehensions of attack on the most sacred Buddha shrine, a very attractive target for any saboteur and publicity-crazy organization. The threat perception to the shrine has been there for more than a decade now.

Incidentally, this is the situation when the shrine management is headed by the Gaya district magistrate.

Though Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not acknowledge any security lapse during his brief interaction with mediapersons here on Sunday, several questions on the level of alertness remain unanswered. The questions include the somewhat smooth entry of the saboteurs through the metal detectors installed at the shrine entrance and the failure of the nearly one dozen CCTV cameras installed at different points to record the operations of the saboteurs who managed an equally smooth exit after planting no less than four explosives at four different points inside the shrine. One ambulance parked near one of the blast sites was damaged due to the blast impact.

As per the existing arrangement, the inner security of the shrine is managed by private security guards hired by the management committee through an agency, while the outer security remains the responsibility of the district police. Investigators are likely to question the security guards and monks deputed at several points inside the shrine.

This is not for the first time that the temple security has been comprehensively breached. Earlier, branches of the holy tree were allegedly felled by unscrupulous elements, apparently in connivance with insiders for being sold among Buddha devotees at fancy prices.

In private discussions, police officials share their dilemma vis a vis policing the sacred shrine as a large number of Buddha followers feel offended by the presence of 'booted' and gun-totting cops and as such, the sensitivities of Buddha followers have to be taken into account while providing security cover to the shrine.

More than a year back, some IM operatives arrested in Delhi revealed that a "Hindu shrine" in Bodh Gaya figured on the terrorist outfit's radar. The revelation could not be taken very seriously as no "Hindu shrine" of consequence existed in Bodh Gaya.

According to sources, a team of Gaya police quizzed the arrested IM operatives in Delhi when they were taken on remand by the Delhi police. The quizzing, according to sources, did not bear fruit as the arrested men 'appeared' to be casual while referring to the Bodh Gaya shrine.

On several occasions in the past, according to sources, LTTE operatives had conducted recce in Bodh Gaya, with one such run performed on the eve of the then Sri Lankan President Premadasa's visit a few weeks before his assassination. Interestingly, a sizeable number of Sri Lankan pilgrims/tourists visit Bodh Gaya in July-August every year.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 8, 2013.