Indian parties indulge in blame game following blasts at Bodh Gaya
Tuesday, 9 July 2013 00:45
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Reuters: A war of words began between political parties after the blasts in the Buddhist temple in India’s eastern state on Sunday (7 July). A series of explosions in and around Buddhism’s holiest shrine in Bihar injured two persons early on Sunday, in what the government described as a “terror” attack. The Mahabodhi Temple complex is located in Bodh Gaya, the place where the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.
India’s ruling Congress party and Bihar’s provincial Janata Dal united (JDU) passed the buck on the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Reportedly, it was alleged by various parties that BJP might have been involved in the blasts to shame the JD(U), after the two snapped ties following a tiff between the two parties.
The Congress party refrained from making any direct accusations but did not rule out the involvement of a political party in the explosions.
“It is necessary to make the people aware about the truth of this incident and there is need to find out who is responsible for it. It is important to find out if there is any political angle to it,” said Bhakta Charan Das, a leader of the Congress party.
JD(U) followed suit and targeted BJP for trying to gain political mileage and spreading hatred among people of different communities.
“At this time when this tragedy has happened and everyone is upset and worried, some people are trying to gain political mileage and are trying to give it a political angle. The kind of shameful act in which the BJP is indulging and the kind of statements they are making, it is very sad and dangerous,” said a BJP leader, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Reportedly, BJP had attacked the two governments for their failure to beef up security even after having prior information of possible attacks at the Mahabodhi temple.
A leader of India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata party, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said that Congress could not shed off responsibility by claiming to have passed on the information regarding a probable attack in Bodh Gaya. He also said that it would be better for the nation if Congress focused more on targeting militancy rather than attacking their political opponents.
“We have only one advice for the Congress party, that they should stop attacking us with their failed weapons and fight against militancy and militants with a strong will. Both the nation and the Congress Party will benefit from this,” said Naqvi.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and said such attacks on religious places “will never be tolerated.”
It was in 2002 that the UNESCO had recognised the Mahabodhi temple as a world heritage site.
