India faces threat from hidden traitors instead of enemies outside the country, said Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday.
"India does not face any threat from enemies outside the country. If India faces any threat, it is from hidden traitors. Today, the court has given punishment (in 2013 Patna blasts). I am pained to see that no member of the 'tukde tukde gang' is speaking on this," Singh told ANI.
The union minister's remarks came after a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Bihar on Monday pronounced punishment against nine Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) terrorists in the 2013 Patna serial bomb blasts cases.
Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Numan Ansari and Mojibullah Ansari have been awarded capital sentence; Umer Siddiqui and Azharuddin have been awarded life imprisonment; Ahmad Hussain and Firoj Aslam have been awarded 10 years imprisonment and Ifteqaar Alam was awarded seven years imprisonment in the case.
All the nine terrorists were convicted on October 27 and the quantum of punishment was announced on Monday.
The cases were registered on November 1, 2013, and the NIA took over these cases on December 31, 2013, pertaining to a series of bomb explosions at Patna Railway Junction and Gandhi Maidan on October 27, 2013.
One explosion at Patna Railway Junction had resulted in severe injury to one accused Tariq Ajam who subsequently succumbed to his injures on November 1, 2013, while undergoing treatment.
Six explosions had taken place at Gandhi Maidan Patna between 11.40 a.m. to 12.45 p.m. where a Hunkar rally of BJP was being held and where Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat was the Chief Guest.
Six persons had died and more than 89 people suffered injuries in the explosion at Gandhi Maidan.
( With inputs from ANI )
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