Sonia Gandhi visits Bodh Gaya blasts site alongwith Shinde

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited the blasts site at Bodh Gaya alongwith Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Wednesday. Both Shinde and Sonia Gandhi reached the revered Mahabodhi Temple - the holy Buddhist shrine - which was targeted by a series of explosions on Sunday and enquired details about the blasts and the progress made so far by the agencies probing the case. Shinde, who is accompanied by top officials of his ministry, also met officials of investigating agencies during his visit. Shinde also had a brief interaction with the media in the presence of Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi went to the sites where 10 bombs exploded early Sunday alongwioth the Home Minister and other Congress leaders. The Bodh Gaya temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is where the Buddha, who was born in neighbouring Nepal, attained enlightenment about 2,500 years ago.

Whenever any tragedy occurs in the country, Sonia Gandhi used to be first person to reach the place and meet the victims and take stock of the situation. She had visited the state of Uttarakhand where lots of people were affected by the flash floods and so many lives lost. She also had visited a hospital in Kashmir during her visit to the state to meet the injured soldiers in the recent militant attack in Srinagar. 

In the wee hours on Sunday, a series of synchronised blasts took place in the different parts of the temple. Two monks were injured in the incident. Forensic experts and local investigators later found three unexploded bombs from the blasts sites, one even placed 20 feet high on a Buddha statue.