Hla Hla Myint, a victim of recent violence with a head gunshot wound, rests in the bed of a hospital in Kyuktaw township in this October 25, 2012 file photo. Reuters/Soe Zeya Tun

Are the serial blasts in Bodh Gaya a reaction to the persecution of Muslim minorities in Buddhist-majority Myanmar? Jihadists have been clamouring for action for long. Even Delhi Police had clear intelligence on it.

"The Indian government is working in cahoots with Burmese government to wipe out Muslim population of #Burma": Jama't ud Da'wah chief Hafiz Saeed, based in Lahore, had tweeted on June 14.

There were five more tweets by Saeed, whom India has accused of masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

"The prevailing silence of international community on the issue of #Burma is saddening to say the least."

"It is also an obligation on the whole Muslim ummah to defend the rights and honor of #Rohingya Muslims in #Burma."

"It is a moral responsibility on the newly elected government to take practical measures for stopping this genocide of Muslims in #Burma."

"We will work for consensus between all religious and political parties on #Burma issue."

"Muslim rulers must unite and raise their voice for the genocide of muslims in #Burma at the security council."

Then on July 26, according to report published in Paksiatni newspaper The Express Tribune, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened to "attack Burmese interests" if the Pakistan did not cut off its diplomatic relations with Myanmar.

The outfit also said it "we will take revenge of your blood".

People sit amongst ruins of a burnt neighborhood at East Pikesake ward in Kyaukphyu on November 5, 2012. Reuters/Minzayar People sit amongst ruins of a burnt neighborhood at East Pikesake ward in Kyaukphyu on November 5, 2012. Reuters/Minzayar

Investigators are also going to interrogate Syed Maqbool, an accused in Pune's German bakery blast case, who had earlier confessed that terrorists hade done a recce of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya and also made a video of the place.

This came out in a press release issued by Delhi Police's special cell on October 26 last year after the arrest of an IED trainer in the Pune blast case.

Excerpts from the press statement (http://delhipolice.nic.in/home/backup/26-10-2012.doc):

"Sustained interrogation of the accused arrested by us revealed that a person, namely, Sayed Maqbool @ Zuber, S/o Syed Haji, R/o Samtam Nagar, Near Madina Masjid, Dharmabad, Nanded, Maharashtra was in close association with them and together they planned to commit fiyadeen attacks on the Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya in Bihar as retaliation to the alleged atrocities being committed upon Muslims in Myanmar. Their plan had the approval and support of the Bhatkal brothers. Sayed Maqbool was arrested after great deal of efforts on 23rd October 2012 from Hyderabad where he had been hiding to evade his arrest.

Maqbool came in contact with Imran through a common friend. The latter introduced Maqbool to Asad and Irfan. Maqbool taught them how to make a bomb by using urea, diesel and fire cracker powder at Asad's farmhouse in Aurangabad. In April 2012, Imran introduced Maqbool to the Bhatkal brothers. Before the Pune serial blasts of 1st August, Maqbool, Irfan, Imran and Asad had discussed their plan of carrying out a fidayeen attack on Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Since Bhatkals wanted to avenge the death of Qateel Siddiqui, they decided to carry out bomb blasts at Pune first."

Despite police knowing about it, the attacks did come, after nine months, a day after Tibetan Buddhists celebrated the Dalai Lama's 78th birthday.

At least 237 people have been killed and about 150,000 people displaced in Myanmar in clashes Buddhists and minority Muslims.

Most of the victims were Muslim and the most deadly incidents happened in Rakhine State, where about 800,000 Rohingya Muslims live, according to the United Nations.

Muslims make up about 5 percent of the 60 million people in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

--With agency inputs

