Amit Shah cancels Bihar visit, state BJP leaders accuse Nitish of discrimination

PATNA:  Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Sasaram in Bihar on Sunday has been cancelled following the “communal violence” during Ram Navami celebrations there, even as the BJP accused the Bihar government of deliberately allowing the situation to deteriorate to derail Shah’s programme.

Newly appointed state BJP president Samrat Choudhary in a press conference said Shah’s visit to Sasaram had been cancelled given the promulgation of Section 144 in the area. While accusing the state government of discriminating against BJP’s functions, Choudhary said: “It is very unfortunate that arrangements were not made to maintain peace in Sasaram despite the Union Home Minister’s proposed visit there. The Bihar government is not doing anything despite the communal violence in Sasaram. Nitish Ji cannot govern Bihar as several districts have reported violence.” he added.

In Sasaram, Shah was scheduled to participate in birth anniversary celebrations of Samrat Ashoka and address a public meeting. He will, however, manage a public meeting in Nawada, neighbouring Nalanda district which also witnessed communal violence during the Ramnavami procession.

It was supposed to be Shah’s fourth visit to Bihar during the last six months. Former Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that the atmosphere in Sasaram was deliberately disturbed, so Shah’s programme could not be held there.

He alleged that preventive arrests of unsocial elements were not done as the state government could not avert attacks on Ramnavami’s Shobha Yatra. Meanwhile, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar alleged that there was a well-planned conspiracy behind communal violence that erupted in Biharsharif and Sasaram during Ramnavami celebrations. “It is somebody’s conspiracy. These incidents earlier did not happen,” he said.