Bihar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was momentarily taken aback on Sunday during his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar when an unidentified man suddenly hugged him tightly and planted a kiss on his shoulder.

The incident took place in Purnea district, from where Gandhi left for adjoining Araria, his final stop for the day, on a motorcycle.

Hundreds of bikers, including RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, were riding alongside Gandhi when a young man, dressed in dark trousers and a shirt, indulged in the apparent display of affection.

As the leader of opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha struggled to keep his two-wheeler balanced, security personnel pounced on the intruder, who was slapped and shoved aside.

Asked about the breach in security, Purnea SP Sweety Sehrawat told PTI over phone, “The LoP was being escorted by a Close Protection Team, which appears to have handled the situation. However, if the CPT flags any concerns to the local police, we will track down the person concerned and take necessary action”.

Asked about some bikers, including Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar, who rode pillion on the motorcycle driven by Gandhi, not wearing helmets, Sehrawat said, “A system is in place to examine CCTV footage and penalise the offenders.”