Two Arrested for Leading Assault Charge against CM
Patna: February 9, 2008
The police in Nalanda district on Saturday filed charges against 16 people for causing a riot and assaulting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his visit to the region along with former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on Friday while also arresting two persons in the case, officials in Patna said.
The arrested persons were identified as Mahesh Yadav and Naro Yadav, Nalanda Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar said.
As reported, Kumar was injured when villagers at Pilkhi, in a display of anger over the compensation for their land acquired by the government for the construction of the proposed Nalanda International University, pelted stones at him in the presence of President Kalam.
The Chief Minister was treated at a Patna clinic and advised to take rest.
Meanwhile, the former Chief Minister and the leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Rabri Devi blamed the NDA government for yesterday's assault on Nitish Kumar.
"Because of the its short-sightedness and its anti-people policies, the government itself has invited trouble that was clearly visible during the Chief Minister's visit to Nalanda on Friday," Rabri Devi said.
Congress leader and spokesperson Premchandra Mishra also blamed the government for yesterday's incident.
"Villagers were not compensated adequately for their lands that resulted in their anger in Nalanda district on Friday. Apparently the government has not learnt anything from what has happened in Nandigram and Singur," Mishra said.
Reacting at the opposition comments, Janata Dal – U leader and Building Construction Minister Monazir Hassan said the attack on the Chief Minister was part of a vicious conspiracy hatched by 'certain political opponents' to turn Nalanda into another Nandigram or Singur.
"The fact that the attack came when the entire nation's eye was on Bihar due to Dr. Kalam's historical visit indicates that the idea was to gain maximum political advantage and shame Bihar in the eyes of the outsiders," Hassan said.
Former Union Health Minister Dr. C. P. Thakur also condemned the incident saying throwing stones on a person like Nitish Kumar was like throwing stones on oneself.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) state spokesperson Surendra Kumar Swatantra also criticized the attack saying incidents like this had no place in a democracy.
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