Alert in Bodh Gaya amid Dalai Lama’s visit: MEA calls it ‘security issue’

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) As security was beefed up in Bodh Gaya in Bihar following a threat to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama allegedly from a Chinese woman, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday called it “a security issue” and refused to comment further on it.

“It looks like a security issue, I don’t have any update on it. I certainly don’t think this is the right forum to talk about security-related aspects,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at the weekly briefing.

He said the government has a liaison officer there, but refused to make any further comments on the “security issue”.

A security alert was issued in Bodh Gaya in Bihar on Thursday morning amid a visit of the Dalai Lama, with the police searching for a Chinese woman, an official said.

Police issued a sketch of the woman, identified as Song Xiaolan, besides sharing her passport and visa details with the press.

It was not immediately clear why the police were looking for the woman.

Security has been beefed up around the Mahabodhi Temple Complex with the screening of devotees being intensified. The Dalai Lama addressed a gathering there in the morning.