Patna blasts: security lapses appear basic, and plenty

Patna: Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, has unpacked a major controversy by denying that there were any holes in the security arrangements for the massive rally held in Patna on Sunday by his political rival, Narendra Modi, who is the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister. (No intel warning, no security lapses: Nitish on Patna blasts)

But even the most basic precautions appear to have been ignored, with grim consequences.

Mr Modi's public gathering was preceded by a string of crude bomb blasts in which six people were killed and more than 80 injured.  (Patna blasts: two arrested, police suspects Indian Mujahideen)

However, Mr Modi kept his date with Patna and the rally began on time.

There were no metal detectors to scan the thousands of people who entered the venue of Mr Modi's rally - Gandhi Maidan -through 10 entrances.

One of the bombs exploded inside the public park near the main entrance. Another was found just 100 feet from the stage and was later defused. Experts point out that for any rally of this size, it's customary for the area near the stage to be "sanitized" or checked carefully by the police.

Sources also say that the police did not conduct required safety and emergency drills ahead of the rally.

Mr Kumar, who ended a 17-year alliance with the BJP in June over its decision to give Mr Modi top billing in its election campaign, has said that there were no intelligence alerts that warned of a possible attack on Sunday.

However, he disclosed that the night before the rally, an abandoned suitcase was found right outside the Gandhi Maidan near Twin Towers, a local landmark that has residential apartments, and added that when he was informed of this, he ordered the police to sweep or check the park and its surrounding areas for any signs of explosives.