PATNA: A 40-year-old BJP leader died after allegedly sustaining injuries on his head when police on Thursday resorted to a lathi charge at Dakbunglow roundabout in the state capital to stop a march to the assembly by party leaders and workers.
Angered over the death of BJP leader Vijay Kumar Singh, Jehanabad district general secretary of the BJP, the state BJP president Samrat Choudhary said that his party would file a murder case against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
“We will continue our agitation against the state government. We have given a call for a Vidhan Sabha march on Friday to protest the police lathicharge,” BJP chief Choudhary said, criticising the grand alliance government for police atrocities and highhandedness.
On the other hand, Patna's senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajiv Mishra said that Singh was found in an unconscious condition in Chhajubagh locality. He was rushed to the PMCH for treatment.
The SSP said that CCTV cameras were being verified to ascertain the truth. “We can't confirm the reason behind Singh's death at this stage,” he told media persons.
Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) superintendent Dr I S Thakur said that Singh was alive when he was brought to the hospital and he was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. Singh's life could not be saved even though doctors made their best efforts to save him, he said.
He said that no external injury was found on him and the exact reason behind his death would be known only after the post-mortem examination. “We have informed the family about the incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said that BJP leaders and workers would march to Raj Bhawan on Friday in protest against the death of the party leader.
Earlier, former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted confirming the death of the party functionary in the police lathicharge. Police carried out a lathi charge, used water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells on BJP leaders and workers when they were advancing towards the assembly against the rescinding of the domicile policy in recruitment of school teachers and in support of various demands.
BJP leaders and workers started their march from the historic Gandhi Maidan but they were intercepted at Dakbunglow roundabout as a huge contingent of security personnel stopped them from advancing to the assembly.
BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal sustained injuries on his head in the police action. Several party workers were also injured when the police, apparently without exercising any restraint, used force to stop them.
Later, police personnel also put up barricades to stop party leaders and workers from advancing further. State BJP Samrat Choudhary along with other senior party leaders including former minister Nitin Nabin squatted on dharna at the site. Choudhary alleged that the Nitish government ‘butchered’ democracy by beating up BJP leaders and workers during their protest.
Reacting sharply to the lathi charge, BJP president JP Nadda tweeted, "The lathicharge on BJP workers in Patna is the result of the failure and indignation of the state government. The Grand Alliance government is attacking democracy to save the citadel of corruption. To save the person who has been chargesheeted, the Chief Minister of Bihar has even forgotten his morality."
Former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that democracy was in danger as the state government took such a harsh measure to stop the march being taken out by party leaders and workers.