Lathi-charge on BJP workers: Days after a BJP leader died due to a lathi-charge in Bihar, a complaint was filed against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and four others in Patna court in connection with the baton charge on a BJP procession in the city.
The complaint was filed on Saturday by BJP worker Krishna Singh, a political activist who had recently joined the BJP. Patna's District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police have also been named among the accused in the complaint.
‘Police took recourse to lathi-charge upon instructions from higher-ups’
The petition has been filed in Patna Civil Court through advocate Sunil Kumar Singh who told reporters, "We have prayed for the trial of the accused against various IPC sections including 302 (murder) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt)."
Singh alleged, "The procession was peaceful, yet the police took recourse to lathi-charge upon instructions from higher-ups, including CM and Deputy CM, and one BJP worker Vijay Singh succumbed to injuries."
While the BJP claimed that Jehanabad district general secretary Vijay Singh died because of injuries sustained in a "brutal" lathi-charge by the police, the administration said that CCTV footage showed that the deceased was not at Dak Bungalow crossing when "mild" use of force was resorted to. The authorities have also claimed that doctors at the hospital found no injury marks on Singh's body.
BJP’s 4-member committee to probe death
BJP has constituted a four-member committee to probe the police’s alleged use of brutal force on its leaders during a protest march against the posting of teachers. The BJP has alleged that one of its members, Vijay Singh, lost his life and many others were injured in the police lathi charge on Thursday in Patna.
Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das will be the convenor of the probe committee. The other leaders who are a part of the committee include Vishnu Dayal Ram, Manoj Tiwari and Sunita Duggal, the party said in a statement.
Stating that BJP national president JP Nadda has strongly condemned the police action and the Nitish Kumar government’s “dictatorial” mindset, the party said that the committee will visit Patna soon and submit its report to Nadda.
The party had earlier alleged that the death of its Jehanabad district general secretary Vijay Singh, allegedly in the police lathi charge, was a “pre-planned conspiracy” of the state government to prevent the people of the state from seeking justice and demanding their rights.
(With PTI inputs)
