Sri Lankan pilgrims asked to avoid Bodh Gaya

Sri Lankan pilgrims asked to avoid Bodh Gaya

July 7, 2013   01:26 pm

The Government today advised Sri Lankan pilgrims not to visit Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya during next week due to ongoing investigations into the blasts which occurred this morning.

Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Neomal Perera stated that the Sri Lankan High Commission in India advises Sri Lankans to avoid pilgrimages to Bodh Gaya till the probe into the bombings is completed.

A series of explosions in and around Buddhism’s holiest shrine in Bihar injured two persons early on Sunday, in what the Indian government described as a “terror” attack.

“It is a terror attack ... no outfit has claimed credit for these attacks,” junior home minister RPN Singh told reporters.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and said such attacks on religious places “will never be tolerated”.

The explosions, which occurred between 5:30 am and 6 am, injured two persons, Bihar police chief Abhayanand told reporters in Patna.

Four blasts occurred inside the Mahabodhi Temple premises, three blasts at Tergar monastery and another near the famous 80-foot Buddha statue, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami said, adding a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe the explosions.

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