With regard to post-poll violence in the Saran Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar, in which one person was killed, two persons have been arrested so far. A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against 12 persons who allegedly triggered the violence.
Bihar Deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary on May 22 slammed RJD leader and Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya, accusing her of inciting a mob in the Saran Lok Sabha constituency, a day after polling on Tuesday.
Mr. Choudhary held her responsible for the violence in which one person, Chandan Yadav, 25, was shot dead. He alleged that she flouted the rules by using the security guards of her mother and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi at polling booths in Saran.
“Who is she to disturb the polling booth. If she is the candidate, then there should be peaceful voting. No untoward incident took place in the entire district, except the polling booth she visited. She went to that booth twice and disturbed the polling and provoked people over there. Rohini Acharya engaged in an argument,” Mr. Choudhary told the media in Patna.
The Deputy Chief Minister said, “We have asked for investigation into how come she was using the security guards of Ms. Rabri Devi. We have also got the report that Pataliputra RJD candidate Misa Bharti is using the security guards of Lalu Prasad ji, which is against the rules. Investigation is going on and action would be taken accordingly.”
In the Saran Lok Sabha seat, Ms. Acharya is up against BJP candidate Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
Argument with locals
During the fifth phase of polling, tension erupted on Monday when voting was going on in the Saran Lok Sabha seat. During the voting, Ms. Acharya visited the booth number 118 located at Bhikhari Thakur Chowk to check the polling, where she got engaged in an argument with the locals.
Next morning on Tuesday, BJP and RJD workers clashed, in which Mr. Chandan Yadav died after receiving a bullet shot. On Tuesday, Ms. Acharya and police officials stated that two persons were killed. However, Saran District Magistrate Aman Samir told The Hindu that only one person had been killed and two persons were arrested in the case so far.
“Only one person named Chandan Yadav was killed during the post-poll violence on Tuesday. The post-mortem has been done and further investigation is going on. So far, two persons have been arrested,” Mr. Samir said. Two persons who sustained injuries were being given treatment. Following the tension in the area, the Saran administration suspended Internet service for two days.
Mr. Rudy said, “Whatever incident happened is unfortunate. But I must say that wherever Lalu ji will be present, all this is not a new thing. If you attack someone’s door with 500-700 or even 1,000 people till morning, then bullets would be fired in self defence. Saran was called the hot seat and it has really become a hot seat now after this incident. I have been saying that the battle of Saran is the battle of Bihar and I have been fighting this battle for the past 30 years.”
To a question, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said, ”If I visit there, a lot of talk will start. People may say that I have gone there to provoke people. One delegation of the party has already gone there and if required, we will also provide financial help to the family of the deceased.”
