Attack on temple to Ahimsa

Attack on temple to Ahimsa  Monks injured in holiest shrine

NALIN VERMA

Bodhgaya, July 7: Terror struck at Buddhism's holiest shrine today, serial low-intensity blasts shattering the calm during morning prayers at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara here and leaving two foreign monks injured near the famous Bodhi tree. Bihar's first ever terror attack — four timer-triggered explosions inside the temple complex and five outside — is being tentatively seen as an Indian Mujahideen plot to avenge "atrocities" on Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. The "cylinder bombs" spared the garbhgriha (sanctum sanctorum), the famous 80ft Buddha statue 800m southwest of the shrine complex and the 1,400-year-old Bodhi tree, a second-generation graft from the one under which Gautama attained Enlightenment 26 centuries ago. No group has yet claimed responsibility. One unidentified man has been detained in Bodhgaya for interrogation after sketches of the suspected bomb planters were prepared on the basis of CCTV footage at the shrine. Bodhgaya, 130km south of Patna, is home to 52 Buddhist monasteries, many of them set up by foreign countries such as Japan, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Southeast Asian nations. The average pilgrim strength during morning prayers at the Mahabodhi shrine in the March-to-September off-season is usually about 50 but in winter, about 10,000 people are present when the temple doors open around 4.30am. Security officials believe the bombing's aim was to cause panic rather than extensive casualties. Two bombs were later defused in the town and one in a neighbouring village. The temple — a Unesco heritage site — has been closed to the public for now. The first blast near the Bodhi tree apparently blew up a table and injured monks Tenzing Lama, 60, from Tibet and Bala Sanga, 27, a religious researcher from Myanmar. Both are "stable" in hospital. Tenzing has injuries in both feet while Bala has splinter wounds in his face and right arm. "I was meditating under the shadow of the Mahabodhi tree when the blast occurred," Tenzing said. Bihar additional director-general S.K. Bhardwaj said preliminary investigations suggest the explosive used was ammonium nitrate. A team of National Investigation Agency and National Security Guard forensic experts reached Bodhgaya tonight. Warning & 'lapse' The first hint of Bodhgaya being a target came last October when three suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives were arrested in Delhi and maps of the temple complex seized from them, security officials said. Apparently, Lashkar-e-Toiba founder and suspected Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed too had threatened strikes on Buddhist shrines in India to avenge attacks on Muslims in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Union home ministry sources said Patna was alerted in October last year and in January and June this year about possible attacks on the temple. "But the security inside and outside the temple was far lower than the desired level," a source said. The Opposition BJP and Rashtriya Janata Dal were quick to attack the Nitish Kumar government for the alleged security lapse, but state police claimed they had beefed up positions outside the temple gates. So far, the police have looked after security outside the shrine while the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee held charge of security inside. However, within hours of the blasts, the temple committee today handed over the entire security to the state police. Nitish, who visited Bodhgaya today, has demanded Central Industrial Security Force cover at the shrine. Mamata Banerjee took potshots at the Centre in a Facebook post. "I do not know why recently a series of such incidents are taking place in a regular cycle…. Which one is the target for tomorrow — West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh or Odisha? What our Central Govt is doing? What about Central Agencies, who usually interfere in State Business, but do not take care of safety and security of our people and country?" she wrote. "Is it a game plan, before Lok Sabha election to disturb States, Regional parties and also to plan to murder some political leaders…. Or is it a Blame game to avoid responsibility and to finish the Regional political parties who are not dependent on UPA? As a citizen of the country I feel ashamed." http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130708/jsp/frontpage/story_17093096.jsp#.UdrJHjuBloI