New Delhi: BJP President Rajnath Singh today disclosed that the Patna police had asked him and Narendra Modi to call off the Gandhi Maidan rally on October 27 soon after the serial blasts, but they rejected the request.
Replying to queries in Rajat Sharma's Aap Ki Adalat, Rajnath Singh, who alongwith other senior BJP leaders was present at Modi's rally in Patna, said: "Had we cancelled the rally, there could have been riots in Bihar. To avoid that, Modi and I decided we would continue with the rally"
(Police afsaron ne aakar humse kaha ki aap sabha ko address mat kijiye kyonki kuch blasts hue hain. Narendra Modi se bhi unhone yahi kaha. Maina kaha nahin, chahe kuch ho jaye, hum sabha ko sambodhit karenge. Agar hum rally cancel karte to poore Bihar me dange-fasaad ho jaate)
Rajnath Singh praised the supporters who had come to the rally and showed utmost restraint despite the serial blasts.
On criticisms that Modi and BJP were trying to take political advantage out of the blasts by going to the families and offering Rs 5 lakhs compensation, Rajnath Singh said: "After all they were our workers, our well-wishers. This should not be seen as taking political advantage. Had there been communal clashes, you could have said that we took political advantage. It was not so."
