PATNA: The communal clashes in two districts of Bihar last week were тАШorchestrated with a clear designтАЩ, chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday, his first remarks on the violence which led to the death of a 16-year-old boy.
The chief minister, who vowed to expose those behind the clashes, also responded to Union home minister Amit ShahтАЩs statement on Sunday during his Bihar visit that those involved in the riots тАЬwill be hung upside downтАЭ when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power.
тАЬDonтАЩt they remember when our government arrested the son of a BJP leader,тАЭ Kumar retorted, a reference to the 2018 arrest of Bihar BJP leader and Union minister Ashwini Kumar ChoubeyтАЩs son Arijit Shashwat for allegedly provoking a communal clash in Bhagalpur during a Ram Navami procession though the BJP was in alliance with KumarтАЩs party, the Janata Dal-United.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event to commemorate the birth anniversary of former deputy prime minister Babu Jagjiwan Ram, Nitish Kumar defended the district authorities over the communal clashes reported during Ram Navami processions from two districts, Nalanda and Rohtas, on Friday.
тАЬSome people were behind the act (provoking violence) at both places. There was an attempt to create problems. Wait for some days and you will know who were those persons,тАЭ the chief minister said, a point that he repeatedly made during the brief interaction.
тАЬThe clashes last week were thoroughly planned. One of the places, Sasaram, happened to be where someone (without taking the name of Amit Shah) was supposed to visit. And the other was Biharsharif, a town which is dear to me,тАЭ said Kumar, who hails from the Nalanda district.
Kumar stressed that there was тАЬno administrative laxityтАЭ, but added the clashes were тАЬorchestratedтАЭ and тАЬthose behind the incident will be known soon. тАЬJust wait, door-to-door searches are on,тАЭ he said, a suggestion that the administration had a clear idea who the culprits were.
Nitish Kumar also criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who blamed RJD and JD (U) for the communal clashes. тАЬHe is an agent of the BJP.., He wanted to meet me when I joined the GA but I refused,тАЭ said Kumar.
