Had given inputs about Patna rally to Bihar government, says Shinde

New Delhi: Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that inputs about Bharatiya Janata Party's Hunkaar rally in Patna were given to the Bihar government. "Whenever there are such rallies happening, the states are given specific inputs in advance. An input was given to the Bihar government on the Patna rally too," Shinde said.

"We have issued alerts to all states with regards to the political rallies and have asked them to be alert. We send specific alerts as and when we get them. State police must be alert while rallies are being organised," Shinde said.

This comes even as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier denied receiving any inputs on Sunday's Patna serial blasts that left six dead and over 50 injured.

Meanwhile, when asked to why he did not go to Patna on Tuesday even as he said on Monday that he will visit the city, Shinde said that Nitish Kumar will visit Delhi on Wednesday and meet him. "Nitish will come to Delhi tomorrow and will be meeting me. I was to go today but since he was not in Patna I have sent the Home Secretary there. I will discuss the Patna blast with Nitish Kumar on Wednesday," Shinde said.

Shinde is facing flak because he had chosen to attend a music launch in Mumbai even after the serial blasts in Patna. And now instead of him going to Patna on Tuesday, the Union Home Secretary will be visiting the city.

The Congress and the government, though, continue to defend Shinde. "Sushil Kumar Shinde has a life beyond Patna, yes, what happened in Patna is very sad. Is someone trying to dilute attention or has done this to gain political mileage out of it, we are not in the position to say it as investigations are on," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

The Nitish Kumar government has written to the Centre demanding that the Patna serial blasts probe be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This comes as Indian Mujahideen operative Tehseen Akhtar has emerged as the main suspect in Sunday's serial blasts. Sources have now told CNN-IBN that it may be possible that Tehseen placed the bomb at Gandhi Maidan himself.

CNN-IBN has also learned that three other bombers have been identified as Hyder, Noman and Taufiq along with the fourth suspect who died while planting one of the bombs. The investigation reveals similarities between the Patna and the July's blasts in Bodh Gaya and police suspect Hyder could be the man whose sketch was released after the Gaya blasts. In both cases, sources say the timer devices were used were also made by a company called Lotus.

The police are conducting searches in North Bihar and Jhakhand. A second suspect, Mohammed Imtiaz, was produced in court on Tuesday night and has been sent to seven days of police remand.