This Article is From Nov 10, 2013

Patna blasts: Didn't approach BJP for cancelling Narendra Modi rally, says Bihar Police

Patna blasts: Didn't approach BJP for cancelling Narendra Modi rally, says Bihar Police

File photo of Narendra Modi

Patna: Bihar Police today trashed BJP chief Rajnath Singh's claim that its officers had requested party leaders to scrap the October 27 'Hunkar Rally' after the serial blasts in and around the Gandhi Maidan venue.

"We deny that our officials had approached any BJP leader with a request not to proceed to Gandhi Maidan to address the rally in view of the serial blasts at the venue on October
27," Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (Headquarters) Ravindra Kumar told a press conference in Patna.

Singh had told a news channel in Delhi yesterday that Bihar Police officials had requested him and the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on October 27 not to address the rally but they decided to go ahead as cancelling the programme would have led to riots in the state.

"We have found out from our officers the facts, on the basis of which we deny the claim that our officers had approached any BJP leader with a request not to proceed to Gandhi Maidan in view of the serial blasts," the ADG said.

Kumar, who called the press conference with the sole agenda of rebutting Singh's claim without taking his name, also refused to take any question on the ongoing probe in the Patna serial blasts.

The serial blasts had rocked Gandhi Maidan and surrounding areas on October 27 before and during BJP's 'Hunkar Rally' in which seven persons, including a perpetrator, were killed and over 80 others injured.

The ruling JD(U) has been engaged in a war of words with estranged NDA ally BJP since the occurrence of the serial blasts over security for the rally.

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