Shahnawaz creates a stir ahead of Sonia, Shinde visit
BODHGAYA: The unannounced arrival of senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain and four Bihar party MLAs at the Mahabodhi Temple complex minutes before the visit of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde spread panic among security personnel here on Wednesday.
Hussain, who is the MP from Bhagalpur and Gaya MLA Prem Kumar and three other legislators arrived at the complex, demanding access to the temple but were stopped at the main entrance. This infuriated their supporters who started shouting slogans.
As Hussain and his colleagues walked into the temple complex which was bristling with unprecedented security, armed person- nel first tried to stop them at the entrance but later allowed them to go in. But they were stopped again near the main temple.
“They told us that Soniaji and Shindeji were to come and so I should not enter,” said Hussain.
“I am also an MP like Soniaji and a member of the privileges committee.
I had come here out of sheer concern. The home minister should have come here soon after the blasts as he did in case of the Pune blast,” Hussain said.
Hussain took a dig at Congress leaders for indulging in what he termed as ‘terror terrorism’ (sic). Hussain said he met Shinde at the temple and asked him to have the matter probed thoroughly.