A major protest organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Patna took a tragic turn today as the party claims that one of its leaders died during clashes with the police. The demonstration was aimed at highlighting what the party perceives as corruption within the Nitish Kumar-led state government.
According to BJP MP and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, the party’s Jehanabad district general secretary lost his life due to injuries sustained during a “brutal” police lathi charge. However, authorities at the Patna Medical College Hospital stated that there were no visible external injuries on the body.
The police countered the BJP’s claims, stating that they were compelled to resort to measures such as lathicharge, tear gas, and water cannons because the protesters had allegedly thrown stones and red chili powder at them.
Mr. Modi expressed his grief on Twitter, stating, “Arrested by Bihar police in Patna. Jehanabad dist GS Vijay Kumar Singh died in brutal police lathi charge.”
While the superintendent of Patna Medical College Hospital confirmed the leader’s demise, the hospital authorities clarified that he was brought in already deceased, and only a post-mortem examination would provide clarity on the cause of death.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai criticized the Bihar government’s handling of the situation, asserting that Vijay Singh had sacrificed his life fighting for the rights and justice of the people of Bihar. He called for the government’s resignation and claimed that several BJP members, including MPs, MLAs, and workers, had been injured during the clashes.
Responding to the District Magistrate’s reluctance to confirm the allegations, Mr. Rai questioned whether he was viewing the situation through the lens of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav. He urged the people to hold these officials accountable.
The BJP’s protest initially started from Gandhi Maidan in Patna, focusing on corruption allegations and the government’s decision to eliminate the domicile requirement for teacher recruitment.
The BJP’s accusations of corruption gained traction when Tejashwi Yadav was named in a CBI chargesheet related to a land-for-jobs scam on July 3. The scam reportedly involves the exchange of land parcels at low prices to the Yadav family in return for employment in the Indian Railways between 2004 and 2009, during Lalu Yadav’s tenure as the railway minister.