Politicians, supporters greet Madani

IANS/Kollam, Kerala

Traffic stopped, crowds went delirious and Kerala politicians shook hands with Abdul Nasser Madani as the jailed Muslim leader came here to attend his daughter’s wedding yesterday.

The People’s Democratic Party leader, under custody in Karnataka for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Bangalore bomb blasts, was given parole to attend the “nikah”.

Traffic on the main road outside a hall where the event took place was blocked for an hour. It took 15 minutes for Madani to alight from the van and reach the podium at the venue.

Kerala’s top politicians exchanged pleasantries with him.

Leading from the front was Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who sat to Madani’s right side. On his left was Indian Union Muslim League’s Lok Sabha member E T Mohamed Basheer.

Among the others who sat with him were Congress MPs M I Shahnawaz and Peethamabara Kurup, Kerala legislators C Divakaran, Thomas Issac, Varkala Kahar and Left Democratic Front convener Vaikom Viswan.

When the groom, dressed in a black suit, came up to the dais, there was a huge cheer as he paid his respect to Madani.