Comments On Serial Blasts In Bodh Gaya
Col. (retd) R.Hariharan
Here is a summary of answers given to print and electronic media questions on the serial blasts in Bodh Gaya on Sunday July 7, 2013.
What is your take on the serial blasts in Bodh Gaya, although the police seem to have had timely alerts before they occurred?
A series of nine explosions rocked the Maha Bodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya, the holiest of all Buddhist sites, in the early hours of Sunday (July 7, 2013). Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has confirmed that in all 13 explosive devices were planted in and around the temple complex out of which ten had exploded and the other three were defused. Undoubtedly, this was a terrorist attack carried out by an organized body of terrorists.
According to the police improvised explosive devices (IED) using 2-kg LPG cylinders filled with ammonium nitrate, Sulphur and Magnesium and sharpnels were used in the explosions. Analogue timers were used to set off the explosion.The number of IEDs planted would indicate more than one person was involved in the attack.
Fortunately, two of the holy sites – the main temple sanctum, and the Bodhi tree area – the seat of Buddha’s enlightenment, suffered only minor damage. The giant statue of Buddha that overlooks the worshippers was unscathed. The ineptitude in planting IEDs in close proximity to each other to explode at different timings rendered some of the timers ineffective and saved a huge disaster.
