'Someone could place bomb in Rahul's shoes'

Mumbai, Mar 18 : After over a month's silence Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe on Thursday justified his 'shoe act', saying he picked up Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's shoes anticipating bomb plant in them.

On February 5, Bagwe picked up Gandhi's shoes while he went to pay tribute to Dr Ambedkar's statue at Ghatkopar area here.

The act created a lot of political controversy with opposition, especially Shiv Sena slamming Bagwe for being a 'chamcha' of Gandhi.

"Some parties, especially the Shiv Sena, raised a hue and cry because I held Rahul's shoes. When Rahul had come to Mumbai, to pay obeisance to Dr Ambedkar's statue at Ghatkopar, there was a huge crowd and I was apprehensive, so as a natural instinct I picked up his shoes. Imagine what would have happened if someone had placed a bomb in them," Bagwe told reporters here.

"I also wanted to ensure the shoes were not pushed towards the statue of Ambedkar, who is our deity," he added.

Mumbai for all Indians. That was the message Rahul Gandhi sent loud and clear on Feb 5 to Shiv Sena and its breakaway group Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

The Congress poster boy literally had a day out in Mumbai and the black flag day of the Shiv Sena turned a Black Friday for the right wing outfits propagating aggressive Marathi cause. In this round of battle for Mumbai, Rahul emerged winner.

Rahul Gandhi came, saw and he actually conquered but taking a local train in Mumbai stumping the Shiv Senas who had geared up to show him black flags and disrupt his programmes for his "Mumbai for all Indians" remark.

Rahul Gandhi ended his four-hour-long visit in the afternoon after arriving here around 11 am.

He left by helicopter for Puducherry, leaving his political footprints in local trains, ATMs and hearts of party workers, youth and slum dwellers. He even signed autographs.

Rahul took a local train from Andheri to Dadar to reach Ghatkopar for his second programme venue after delivering the vital message in another function that "We are all Indians".

He also stopped at an ATM at Santacruz stopping his motorcade.