PATNA: The communal clashes in two districts of Bihar last week were ‘orchestrated with a clear design’, 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 Shah’s statement on Sunday during his Bihar visit that those involved in the riots “will be hung upside down” when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power.
“Don’t they remember when our government arrested the son of a BJP leader,” Kumar retorted, a reference to the 2018 arrest of Bihar BJP leader and Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey’s son Arijit Shashwat for allegedly provoking a communal clash in Bhagalpur during a Ram Navami procession though the BJP was in alliance with Kumar’s 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.
“Some 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,” the chief minister said, a point that he repeatedly made during the brief interaction.
“The 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,” said Kumar, who hails from the Nalanda district.
Kumar stressed that there was “no administrative laxity”, but added the clashes were “orchestrated” and “those behind the incident will be known soon. “Just wait, door-to-door searches are on,” 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. “He is an agent of the BJP.., He wanted to meet me when I joined the GA but I refused,” said Kumar.