Anyone who tries to create communal tension won't be spared, said Nitish Kumar
Under repeated attack from the opposition for his "failure" to deal with communal violence, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is out to prove his political critics wrong. And he is doing it fast.
A day after Mr Kumar broke his silence over the recent communal clashes, saying he would not
compromise with communalism, his government has acted swiftly to release Rs 36 lakh for those affected by the violence triggered during last week's Ram Navami celebrations.
The money has been released after reports from the district magistrates of Aurangabad, Samastipur and Nawada.
In Aurangabad, where 40 shops were burnt during the violence, Rs 25.3 lakh has been released. Six people in Nawada, whose properties were damaged, will get a compensation of Rs 8.5 lakh.
In Samastipur, where a mosque and a madrasa were damaged, Rs 2.13 lakh has been released for restoration work.
The pace at which the entire process was completed has surprised senior bureaucrats. Funds are always given but this time reports were sought at the earliest, said Amir Subhani, Principal Secretary, Home department.
And that's not all. The money will reach the beneficiaries by today evening, as Mr Subhani said.
Mr Kumar, who has been facing constant barbs from opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of having "surrendered" to ally BJP, has already demonstrated his intent to act firm against those trying to create communal trouble.
Arijit Shashwat, the son of union minister Ashwini Choubey, has been
arrested for the communal violence that broke out in parts of Bihar during the Ram Navami celebrations.
The chief minister who pulled out of the alliance with the RJD last year over corruption allegations against Mr Yadav and formed the government with the BJP has already sought to set the record straight. Whoever tries to disrupt communal harmony will have to go to jail, Mr Kumar has made it clear.