By Priyashree Andley
The Patna Bombings at Narendra Modis rally were masterminded by Tehsin Akhtar, Indian Mujahideen’s new commander. The rally that was attended by large number of locals aimed to kill women and children by setting off a stampede. As per news reports, he was present at Gandhi Maidan to supervise the bombers at rally ground. Imtiaz Ansari, the IM operative who was arrested with explosives by the Patna police has provided vital leads on the terror plot. It aimed to take revenge for the Muzaffarngar riots that took place recently wherein a number of local Muslims were killed and injured.
This terror plot was similar to the Bodh Gaya blasts in July 2013 and Imtiaz acknowledged that Tehsin, a resident of Samastipur district in Bihar, was involved in the serial bomb blasts on Mahabodhi temple too. It was retaliation against the alleged killings of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. He has indicated the use of the same brand of clocks, Lotus, manufactured in Gujarat’s Rajkot district, in both the serial blasts.
In this security scenario, where does the local population stand? How does a safe democratic election process follow? The serial blasts will only terrify the population from attending similar events across the country and political parties will have to pay a heavy price for not assuring security and safety of people when they attend rallies and speeches by nominated leaders.
The IM group has used local transport and infrastructure to carry out these attacks. For example, they used buses of Priyanshu Travels to reach Patna on the morning of 20 October 2013 when the rally was scheduled. Police reports stated that Imtiaz and Tariq were to plant bombs at the railway station to strike those arriving for the rally, before reuniting with the others at Gandhi Maidan. Can these security lapses be avoided at this time when General Elections are just a few months away?
It was a luck by chance situation wherein one of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) exploded as Tariq was planting them. The policemen reached the railway station were able to nab Imtiaz when he was trying to escape. Undoubtedly, his interrogation has helped police establish the identity of others involved in the attack, including Tehsin, who is wanted for the 2011 triple blasts in Mumbai, Pune blasts in 2012 and Hyderabad blasts in 2013. As per news and police reports, Tariq has taken over the leadership of IM after the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal in August 2013.
It is unfortunate that Yasin’s arrest and the details he provided about his accomplices have not led cops to get hold of Tehsin and Waqas who is another IM member and a Pakistani National, from their hideout in Mangalore. It is only, after the arrest news started playing on media like newspapers and TV, the two members abandoned their Mangalore hideout leaving behind several bomb-making materials. In this situation, the beneficiaries are the IM members and their partners who can make further plans to destabilise the country with more targeted attacks.
As investigation continues, there are many more modules that are being discovered by the police. For example, the Darbhanga module of the IM stretches from Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi and Samastipur in northern Bihar to Aurangabad and Gaya in central Bihar. Moreover, the Police also identify the role of the Ranchi module of the IM in the Patna blasts.
In the midst of these killings wherein 6 people have lost their lives and more than 40 have been injured in Patna, investigations are on and allegations of Jharkhand police links with the IM are also being questioned. But a well-planned strategy to avoid recurrence of similar blasts targeting the local population is not clearly visible.
An independent analyst and focuses on International Relations, Foreign Policy and Current Affairs. She has several years of experience working in both the public and private sector. Her research has taken her across India with publications appearing in national as well as international media. Priyashree is a Felix Scholar from SOAS, London and has degrees from JNU and St. Stephens College, Delhi.