BARIYARPUR: People believe that paranormal and amazing things happen at the shrines.

And today, thousands of devotees thronged the Gadhimai Temple premises witnessed similar incident as Maoists welcomed, and also chanted slogans against Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar upon his arrival here.

It was all fine till the time when UCPN-Maoist lawmaker Shiva Chandra Kushwaha welcomed the DPM at the fair. But they raised their eyebrows after Kushwaha's subordinates, even as he was welcoming the DPM, began showing black flags and chanting slogans against Gachhadar and the government on the temple premises itself.

The astonished devotees said it was rather strange sight as the Maoist cadres showing black flags in protest while their leader Kushwaha was welcoming the guest with flowers.

Talking to local journalists after welcoming the DPM, Kushwaha tried to clear the dual character his party opted. "The people are not happy with the activities of the government so it's not unusual for them to protest," he said, adding that that it was the people's right to protest.

He also said that he could not resort to protest in his capacity as the coordinator of the Gadhimai Fair Committee.

A group of around 20 Maoist cadres had showed black flags to the DPM when he landed here along with Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sharat Singh Bhandari and Kalawati Paswan, assistant minister for Physical Planning and Works. The team had landed here in an army helicopter.

Security personnel deployed at the site had a tough time dispersing the Maoist cadres as they were showing black flags from among the crowd of devotees. Four Maoist cadres, including Roshan Ansari, coordinator of a sub-committee of the Gadhimai Fair, were injured in after police resorted to baton charging.

The protest continued for 10 minutes till DPM Gachhadar finished worshipping at the temple. The Maoist cadres had chanted slogans against him and the government.

Meanwhile, Kushwaha commented that the use of force by the police on protesters was a deplorable act. "It's not acceptable if the police rain batons on the protesters when they are on peaceful protest," he said