BJP's 'Jallianwala Bagh' Reference To Police Action On Bihar Protesters

The BJP on Friday likened Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to Brigadier General Reginald Dyer, who was involved in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and demanded his resignation after a party leader died allegedly in a police lathi-charge in Patna.

The opposition party in Bihar alleged that the police lathi-charge during the "Vidhan Sabha march" was a "pre-planned conspiracy" of the state government to instil fear among people and prevent them from holding protests for their rights and justice.

The BJP's Jehanabad district general secretary Vijay Singh died while taking part in the march organised by the party against the Nitish Kumar government. Party leaders have alleged that Vijay Singh succumbed to injuries he suffered in a "brutal" lathi-charge by the police.

The party demanded the arrest of the "culprits" behind the police action and claimed the lathi-charge and use of tear gas shells during their protest against various decisions of the Bihar government was a reminder of similar incidents during the British Raj.

"It was the same as the Britishers had done with people protesting against the Simon Commission," said Nityanand Rai, Union minister of State for Home and the BJP's MP from Bihar's Ujiyarpur, said a press conference.

"Indeed, Jungle Raj 3.0 has arrived in Bihar," he added.

He sought the Nitish Kumar government's answer over the "police brutality" unleashed on the people of Bihar who were holding a "peaceful" demonstration, demanding rights and justice.

"The kind of barbarism witnessed on the streets of Patna yesterday was a reminder of General Dyer who is known for his barbaric way of crushing those demanding justice," he said.

"Lathi-charge on teachers, lathi-charge on students, lathi-charge on women... This shows that Bihar's Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav government is conspiring to crush their opponents like the British," he said. "The BJP demands his resignation."

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is in charge of the state's home department.

Asserting that the BJP will continue the struggle in Bihar, Mr Rai demanded the state government roll back all the decisions taken against the interests of farmers, students and teachers in the state.

"The use of force by the police on BJP leaders and workers was a well-thought-out conspiracy of the state government to instil fear in the minds of the people of Bihar so that nobody dares to organise such kind of march, demonstration and protest in future," he alleged.

The Union minister said BJP leaders and workers cannot be scared by lathis and bullets.

"Vijay Singh has made a big sacrifice for the farmers, labourers, teachers, students and, women's rights," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)