Bihar BJP threatens action against officials over party leader's death

Patna: The opposition BJP in Bihar on Friday vowed to take action against officials who claimed that the death of a party leader a day before was not caused by injuries suffered in a lathicharge.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha took strong exception to statements given by police and other administrative officials "even before the post-mortem report was out." "These officials are acting like spokespersons of the current dispensation. They should know that they are being watched by us. No sooner than the regime changes, we will take action," Sinha told reporters outside the Vidhan Sabha.

The local administration has been maintaining that Vijay Singh, the Jehanabad district general secretary of BJP, was nowhere close to the Dak Bungalow crossing where police had used "mild" force, besides firing tear gas shells and using water canons, to disperse a procession which was heading towards the Vidhan Sabha.

Meanwhile, state minister Shravan Kumar, a close aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said the "unfortunate" demise of the BJP leader was a matter of investigation but squarely blamed the opposition party for the lathicharge by police.

"Why were they carrying packets of chilli powder which they began throwing at police personnel who prevented them from crossing barricades? Given their conduct, police could not have showered them with flower petals," the minister asserted.

However, state BJP president Samrat Choudhary, who is also the leader of the opposition in the legislative council, denied that chilli powder was thrown by party members.

"Where is the proof? We have ample proof, in the wounds suffered by our workers that there was a lathicharge. Let them prove the allegation of chilli powder," said Choudhary.

Meanwhile, BJP members of both houses of the legislature are gearing up for a "Raj Bhavan" march later in the evening when they plan to present Governor Rajendra Arlekar with a memorandum elucidating their grievances.