RJD, BJP workers clash in Patna, several injured

A day after the Income Tax Department conducted raids in 22 places in New Delhi and adjoining areas in connection with alleged benami land deals linked to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, his daughrer and two sons, a clash broke out between workers of the RJD and the BJP in Patna on Wednesday.

Several people were injured in the scuffle that took place outside the BJP office at Beerchand Patel Path. The RJD office is located just 100 meters away on the same road.

Over hundreds of RJD workers, protesting against the I-T raids, took out a procession from outside the BJP office. Soon workers of both parties were seen throwing stones and bottles at each other. Some of them were wielding lathi (baton) in their hands.

The RJD protestors were shouting slogan such as ”Narendra Modi murdabad, Sushil Modi murdabad, Lalu Prasad Yadav zindabad,” said BJP workers.

At the BJP office, there were few party workers and leaders as the party had called a State-wide dharna demanding action against Mr. Lalu Prasad’s two sons, who are Ministers in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet.

The BJP had alleged the involvement of the two in some fraudulent land deals in Patna and elsewhere.

Most of the senior State BJP leaders were staging a dharna at Gardanibagh locality in Patna when the scuffle took place.

BJP workers alleged that RJD workers came to their party office under police protection and attacked them with lathi s and pelted stones, bricks and bottles at them.

However, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said RJD workers were taking out a silent protest march from outside the BJP office but the BJP workers first pelted stones at them.

“The RJD workers soon returned to their party office but some of them got injured and were given medical care ”, he said.

Over half-a-dozen BJP workers sustained head and leg injuries in the scuffle and were admitted to a local hospital.

BJP State president Nityanand Rai condemned the incident. He said they would not be cowed by such attacks but continue to demand the sacking of two sons of Mr. Lalu Prasad from the Ministry.