Blasts hit Indian state before opposition rally

Gandhi Ground in Patna (Pic: Caravandaily.com)

NEW DELHI (AA) – A series of low-intensity bombs hit Patna, the capital city of the northern state of Bihar, killing one and injuring 20 others minutes before the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) premiership candidate Narendra Modi arrived to address the party’s supporters.

Bihar DGP (Director General of Police) GP Abhyanand has confirmed 8 explosions in Patna.

Eight blasts took place in and around Gandhi Ground, the venue of the BJP's biggest rally in the northern state.

The first blast exploded at Patna railway station, critically injuring one person who later died of his injuries.

A series of low-intensity explosions followed near the rally’s venue.

Fear and panic struck thousands of BJP members and supporters when the fifth low-intensity blast rocked the Gandhi Ground itself.

The blast was caught on camera by the English-language news channel NDTV.

Several unexploded bombs were reportedly defused by the police at the venue, said Upendra Kumar Sinha, railway superintendent of police.

He had one police official was injured while defusing a bomb.

One suspect was detained at the rally by the police for questioning.

The federal government has immediately dispatched an elite team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and explosive experts to Patna to assist state police in their investigation.

BJP, India's main opposition party, condemned the blasts that seem to target its rally.

"Investigation as to who is behind this must happen," BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters.

BJP’s planned rally went ahead at the venue where Modi slammed the Bihar State's ruling Janata Dal United (JDU) party.

In June, JDU chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ended a 17-yearl political alliance with the BJP when it became clear that Modi would be the right-wing Hindu party's prime ministerial candidate.

Anadolu Agency, October 27, 2013