Visit of Vietnam PM, wife to Bodh Gaya called off
HIGH ALERT District officials confirm cancellation of trip but say it has nothing to do with the high alert over recovery of two bombs
GAYA: The proposed visit of Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his wife Tran Thi Nguyet Thu to the Buddhist temple town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar has been cancelled, district officials said on Monday.
Two improvised explosive devices (IEDS) were recovered from the Mahabodhi Temple in the city on Saturday.
Gaya district magistrate Abhishek Kumar Singh confirmed the cancellation of the visit, but said it had nothing to do with the recovery of the IEDS.
According to an itinerary received by the Gaya district administration, Phuc and his wife were to arrive at Gaya airport from New Delhi on January 27 and offer prayers at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara, a Unesco world heritage site, and under the Mahabodhi tree.
While Phuc was to return on January 28, his wife was scheduled to stay at Bodh Gaya for two more days. Phuc and nine ASEAN leaders will attend the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi as chief guests.
About 50,000 disciples of the Dalai Lama from places across the world are in Bodh Gaya to attend the Dalai Lama’s teaching sessions. The timing of the recovery raises concerns over security lapses. On January 3, 13 policemen, on the Dalai Lama’s security duty, were suspended for negligence.
THE PILGRIMAGE TOWN IS ON HIGH ALERT AFTER THE RECOVERY OF TWO IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES NEAR THE MAHABODHI TEMPLE ON SATURDAY