Patna: Angry workers and activists of the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) today attacked the office of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Patna a day after Income Tax department sleuths conducted raids at 22 locations in Delhi in connection with alleged benami deals worth Rs10 billion (Dh572 billion) linked to Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The RJD, which is a partner in the ruling Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, is headed by powerful politician Yadav.
Witnesses said the RJD workers had taken a protest march to the streets of Patna when they suddenly clashed with BJP workers when they reached their office.
Soon they were indulging in violent clashes as both sides resorted to stone pelting, damaging the window panes of around 12 cars parked outside the BJP office and leaving at least six persons wounded.
The attack came on a day when the BJP had staged a daylong sit-in in Patna and other places seeking dismissal of Yadav’s minister-sons, Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejaswhi Yadav, from the Kumar cabinet in view of their alleged involvement in land scandals.
“RJD goons armed with sticks, rods, stones and empty beer bottles attacked the BJP office. We too have the capability to serve befitting reply to them but violence is not an answer to violence,” said senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
He also announced the burning of effigies of Yadav and Kumar on Thursday as a mark of protest. “We are not going to keep silent after [an] attack on our party office. We can’t be intimidated,” he said.
Later in the day, a delegation of BJP leaders met the director general of police, PK Thakur, and sought action against the guilty RJD people.
The RJD on the other hand accused the BJP of instigating the party workers by making frequent allegations against the party chief and his family and also using “unparliamentary words” against them.
“Our party workers were taking out [a] silent procession but the BJP workers threw stones on them, leading to violent clashes although our party condemns such incidents,” RJD’s chief spokesperson Manoj Jha told media today.
The development comes barely a day after Income Tax officials conducted raids at several places in Delhi after the Yadav family members were accused of acquiring benami properties through fake companies.
The raids followed soon after the chief minister suggested the agencies concerned initiate action if someone is involved in the scandals. The BJP was only too quick to thank the chief minister for making this statement.
Over the past one month, Modi had raised a string of corruption charges against Yadav and his family, heating up state’s political scene. This ultimately culminated in the raids at his properties.
