Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and actor Kangana Ranaut pose during the music launch for her forthcoming film in Mumbai hours after serial blasts shook Patna on Sunday
The BJP has criticised Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for attending the music launch of a film in Mumbai on Sunday evening, just hours after the serial blasts in Patna that killed six people.
Mr Shinde, who has charge of the country's law and order, spent nearly an hour at the music launch of Rajjo posing for photographs with the star cast that included Kangana Ranaut. The film's Director, Vishwas Patil, is a former IAS officer from Maharashtra and said to be close to the Home Minister.
Criticising the Home Minister, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "I think it was indifference and if you have that attitude then any terrorist strike is an act of business as usual."
"There is nothing wrong with going for a music performance launch etc at any other time. But here there were blasts. One would have expected the Home Minister to go there," said BJP's Venkaiah Naidu.
Mr Shinde justified not changing his plans because of the blasts, saying he had immediately sent crack investigating teams to the spot and was in regular touch with officials.
"Since the bomb blast at 9.30 am, I have been getting updates about the situation. I have spoken to the Chief Minister of Bihar a few times. In the afternoon itself I sent an NIA (National Investigation Agency) team and a bomb inquiry squad to Patna by plane," he told reporters.
The BJP refused to buy the explanation. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted: "Home minister launching music, when there were blasts in Patna. Now it's time for them to hear the music."
Twitter was also abuzz with comments about Mr Shinde attending the Bollywood event so soon after a major attack. "Home Minister of a country is supposed to make its people feel safe & secure. I wish I could say the same about our Home Minister," actor Anupam Kher tweeted.
In May this year, questions were raised on Mr Shinde's absence from the country when top Congress leaders were killed in a brazen attack by Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Mr Shinde, then in the US on official visit, had decided to stay back to reportedly visit his children.