The Indian security agencies have received a specific intel claiming that terror cells are planning to deploy a human bomb to assassinate Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is closely monitoring the development, suspect that Modi could become a victim of a Rajiv Gandhi-like assassination plot, involving a human bomb. The agencies have been asked to closely monitor his public rallies.
Since his nomination as the PM candidate, Modi has been on the top terror list of Islamic militant outfits, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen (Huji) and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Back in December, JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar - who is said to be based in Pakistan - had issued a warning, calling on the Muslims and asking them not to forget the role of Modi in the 2002 riots.
The closest terror encounter Modi had was during his Patna rally on 27 October, where in a series of bomb explosions, five people were killed. NIA investigations claimed that the blasts were carried out by Indian Mujahideen operatives.
Islamic militant groups have been closing in on Modi for long and, as per the Intelligence Bureau, he is their top-most Indian target. There has also been intel that Pakistan's ISI has been helping the terror groups, especially as any attack on Modi will lead to a possible Hindu-Muslim clash, leading to instability in the country.
With terror looming, Modi already enjoys a security category given to the current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
(Ed: VP)
