‘Who ordered police to act like General Dyer in Munger’, asks Tejashwi; Grand Alliance demands probe

A day after police firing in Munger during an idol immersion event left one person dead and several injured, leaders of the Grand Alliance in Bihar demanded a High Court-monitored investigation into the incident.

Addressing the first joint press conference in Patna, leaders of the Grand Alliance also demanded action against police officials responsible for the incident.

Leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly and chief ministerial candidate of the Grand Alliance, Tejashwi Yadav attacked CM Nitish Kumar and demanded an inquiry by a retired HC judge into the matter.

He pointed out that CM Nitish Kumar held the home ministry portfolio under which Bihar Police functioned. “We condemn firing by police in Munger, in which 1 person was killed. This double-engine govt definitely had a role in it. We want to ask Deputy CM Sushil Modi, who gave permission to become General Dyer? We want High Court-monitored probe” Yadav said.

He castigated deputy CM Sushil Modi for not doing anything other than writing a post on Twitter,

Yadav demanded that the officials responsible for the gruesome firing and lathi charge be punished.

Saying that the Munger firing incident showed that Bihar is not governed by Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi but “Nirdayi Kumar” and “Nirmam Kumar”, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala questioned the silence of the BJP over the issue.

“Why are the BJP leaders silent over the incident?” asked Surjewala. “There cannot be any incident which is more gruesome, barbaric and disgusting than this,” he added.

Surjewala attacked PM Narendra Modi who is scheduled to address rallies in Bihar. “Prime Minister ji, you are coming to Bihar…If there is any wisdom left in you, you should suspend Nitish Kumar government,” he said.

Saying that cases of police brutality have risen in the BJP regime all over the country, CPI (ML) leader Kavita Krishnan said that the Grand Alliance is committed towards providing justice to all. She said instead of resorting to firing, police should have talked to protesters to defuse the tension. “Reform is the need of the hour,” she added.