CM Nitish Kumar should undertake 'paschatap yatra', says Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday held administration and intelligence agencies responsible to prevent stoning incident on Chief Minister's cavalcade few days back and said the CM should undertake "paschatap yatra" (penitence) instead of "Vikash Samiksha Yatra".

"RJD's fact finding team found both the administration and intelligence agencies responsible for the incident (stone pelting incident on CM's convoy)...Had the CM heard people's grievances, such an incident would not have occurred...It was the administration which resorted to lathicharge on the people who wanted to meet the CM," Mr Tejashwi told reporters.

Notably, on January 12 last, the CM's convoy was pelted with stones during his tour of Nandan village in Dumraon block as part of his state-wide Vikas Samiksha Yatra.

Five FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident against 99 named persons and 500-700 unnamed ones, Buxar Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar had said adding that at least 28 persons, including 10 women, have so far been arrested in connection with the incident.

"I don't think that there is any district left where the Chief Minister's ongoing yatra is not marked by protest. In Begusarai, police had to resort to firing in the open. People especially women- ANM, Anganwaid se vikas, contractual women teachers- are protesting everywhere. The CM should dwell deep about reasons for protest and undertake 'paschatap yatra' instead of 'Vikas Samiksha Yatra'," Yadav said.

Mr Yadav, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, was accompanied by party's state unit chief Ramchandra Purbe, former minister Shiv Chandra Ram who led the party's team that visited Nandan village and submitted its report to Mr Tejashwi.

Even pregnant women were arrested besides handicapped persons were beaten apart from police naming those in the FIRs who live in foreign countries, the RJD leader said while announcing that the party would launch movement untill the names of innocent people named in the FIR are withdrawan.

Stating that he would visit tomorrow Nandan village to meet the people there, Tejashwi said that he has sought time from Governor's office for a meeting on January 23 to apprise him of the incident, apart from prevailing law and order situation, corruption cases etc.

In reply to a query, he said that this (incident) was not a pre-planned incident rather it was spontaneous incident "which was nothing but a sheer outburst of people's anger."

He termed as "ridiculous" dragging his name into the incident by JD(U) spokespersons and dared to "put me behind the bar if I was behind the incident."