In a late-night development in Bihar, workers of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) who were sitting on a Dharna against the alleged attack on an old Kali temple during a religious procession were forcibly removed by the police. At the same time, a media person was also barred from recording the footage of the incident near Kachahari Chowk of Bhagalpur on August 3.
As per a report of News 18, the former district president of BJP, along with other party workers who were on a Dharna against the attack on the Kali temple, was manhandled and forcibly removed from the place by the police. The development occurred late evening when the police allegedly commenced a lathi charge on the BJP workers and tried to stop the News 18 correspondent, Vikas Kumar Singh, from reporting the incident.
In a video pertaining to the incident put up by News 18, the media group correspondent can be seen manhandled by the police while he was trying to record the incident on his mobile phone.
It’s been reported that the BJP leader Rohit Pandey was sitting on a hunger strike demanding the arrest of the accused in the alleged attack on the Budhiya Mai Kali temple in Bhagalpur when the police arrived at the spot and asked the BJP leader to come along for a medical check-up. When the BJP leader refused to go for a medical check-up and said he was alright, the police forcibly took him along.
भागलपुर में पुलिस का बर्बर चेहरा। न्यूज़ कवर कर रहे न्यूज़ 18 संवाददाता को पीटा। pic.twitter.com/nRCFre9O2u
— News18 Bihar (@News18Bihar) August 4, 2023
Speaking to one of his colleagues, the News 18 correspondent Vikas Kumar Singh alleged that he was surrounded by the police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, who also tried to stop him from recording the footage of the incident. He further accuses the police personnel of manhandling him as well.
Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Jaiswal, while slamming the state government in a series of tweets, said that the Talibani face of the Nitish government is visible to everyone. Kali temple was damaged, and when the BJP leader began a fast for the arrest of the accused then, the police, after three days, not only beat him but the reporters who were covering the incident were also beaten up.
“Not only that but when a journalist visits a hospital for his treatment the gates of the hospital are locked and it was only after the order of the SP that he got treatment after one hour. Is seeking Justice against the vandalization of Hindu religious places declared as a crime in Bihar”, tweeted further the BJP lawmaker from Bihar.
Earlier, the Bhagalpur police, in a tweet, had informed that an incident of stone pelting on a religious place was reported from Parvatiya colony under Vishwavidyalaya police station limits of Bhagalpur on July 30. An FIR is being filed, and the police are camping at the location.
It is to be noted that several reports pertaining to communal scuffles have surfaced in the state recently, following which the opposition BJP has been attacking the ruling Mahagathbandhan government for doing appeasement politics and failing to contain the violence unleashed by the members of a particular community.
Earlier, a law-and-order situation also occurred at Darbhanga and Kaimur after stone pelting was reported between the two communities following which the administration had to suspend the internet services and deploy additional troops to maintain law and order.
