A day after the I-T raids on premises linked to RJD supremo lalu Prasad in Delhi and NCR, the workers of BJP and RJD came to blows here on Wednesday leaving a few of them injured. Some vehicles parked nearby were also damaged. The rivals accused each other of attacking them with lathi, bottles and bricks. The clashes took place near BJP office at Beerchand Patel Path. The offices of the two parties are located side by side.
Senior of leaders of the BJP who rushed to the office accused ‘goondas’ of RJD of gate crashing office and attacking workers with bricks and lathis. On the other hand, the RJD countered that its workers were provoked with brickbats from BJP office when they were moving towards Income Tax roundabout.
A fuming senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, “Hum eent ka jawab pathar se denge. (If hit by bricks, we will retaliate with stones). The consequences of this attack will be disastrous for both lalu and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.” He, however, said that his party would not retaliate with violence.
Modi said though the BJP office was located in restricted zone, the police allowed the RJD lumpens to move unchallenged with lathis and bottles and remained a silent spectator. Some injured BJP workers were heard claiming that the attackers came escorted by the police. Attempts were also made by the BJP workers to retaliate and attack RJD office but they were stopped by the police.
Incidentally, the BJP had organised a day-long dharna across Bihar on Wednesday to register protest against the alleged corrupt practices by lalu family and amassing huge wealth. Modi said the administration did not permit the BJP to hold dharna near its office saying it was restricted area. Hence they were forced to move to Gandani Bagh for dharna, but at the same time, RJD workers took out processions in hundreds and attacked BJP office. About half a dozen injured workers were taken to Gardiner Road hospital for first aid.
State BJP chief Nityanand Rai said his party would meet the DGP to register complaint and if he did not act, they would also meet the Governor. He asked the BJP workers to remain clam and patient and not deviate from their stand of exposing corruption.
An FIR was filed against unnamed RJD workers.
RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha retaliated by saying that his workers were first hurled with stones from BJP office. At a Press conference he produced at least two injured workers with one suffering damage to cornea and another teenaged boy sustaining wounds at his arms.
Jha said lalu disapproved of the procession by the RJD workers, but he accused Modi of doing politics of violence and alleged that stones were hurled from the BJP office. He also lamented at the language used by Modi for lalu and his two sons and calling RJD workers goondas.