Bihar: Minister Smriti Irani’s posters blackened ahead of public meeting; report

According to a report by News18, anti-social elements in Bihar's Gopalganj smeared black ink on posters of Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani. Irani is scheduled to attend a programme at the Minz Stadium in Gopalganj, where she will address the Youth Resolution Conference, said the report. State Health Minister Mangal Pandey and BJP State President Nityanand Rai will also be attending the programme.

Irani’s face on many posters for the programme, put up around the Post Office Chowk in Gopalganj, has been smudged with black ink, said the report. However, as soon as BJP leaders heard about the damage, the posters were replaced.

The identities of the miscreants have not been confirmed yet. However, according to News 18 report, activists of upper caste organisation Swarna Sena have decided to protest against Irani’s programme.

Earlier several BJP leaders have faced the anger of the people from the upper caste organisations, who have been protesting against the restoration of the provision for immediate arrest under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by Parliament, that had been removed by a Supreme Court verdict. Earlier this week, on September 30, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and two other MPs of his party, Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party President Nityanand Rai and Bhojpuri actor-turned-MP Manoj Tiwari, were shown black flags by Swarna Sena activists at different places in Bihar. The protesters also shouted 'go back' slogans against Modi, Rai and Tiwari.

Last month, a shopkeeper, Hiru Sewani was arrested by the Satna police in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly selling black balloons to protesters. These balloons were flown as a sign of protest against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who had visited the city for a convention. Chouhan has also been witnessing a backlash from upper caste groups protesting against restoration of SC/ST Atrocities Act.

With IANS inputs