News Analysis India

Tag: Bihar

  • Fault in tracks likely cause of derailment of North East Express: Preliminary probe

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Fault in tracks was the possible cause of derailment of all the coaches of the Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express in Bihar, sources said on Thursday citing a preliminary investigation report.

    At least four people were killed and several injured in the accident in Bihar’s Buxar district Wednesday night.

    “It seems that derailment occurred due to fault in tracks,” the report, signed by six railway officials, stated.

    Highlighting the condition of passenger coaches, the report stated that all 22 coaches and the engine derailed — two of them were fully capsized and two others turned turtle.

    The probe report has estimated the cost of damage due to the accident at more than Rs 52 crore.

    The loco pilot, Vipin Kumar Sinha, suffered minor injuries and his assistant sustained serious injuries in the accident.

    The report also contained a statement from Sinha who said that the train passed Raghunathpur station, near which the accident occurred, at a speed of 128 km per hour, but soon after it crossed the station section, it suffered a severe jolt at the rear end with excessive vibration.

    As a result of the excessive vibration and the severe jolt, the brake pipe pressure dropped suddenly and the train derailed at 9:52 pm, the preliminary report quoted the loco pilot as saying.

    According to Sinha’s statement, he took charge of the train from Deen Dayal Upadhyay station at 8:27 pm when everything was fine.

    He said that the train reached Buxar at 9:29 pm when the assistant loco pilot again did an inspection of the engine and found everything fine.

    The report also quoted a gateman and a pointsman at the Raghunathpur station as saying that they saw sparks coming from near the wheels of the train.

    “As per a statement from the gateman of LC (Level Crossing) Gate no 59B, train no 12506 passed the gate and just after passing 8-10 coaches, he observed sparking and heard heavy noise,” the report stated.

    The report stated a breath analyser test of the loco pilot and his assistant was negative.

    At least four people died and several were injured when the train derailed near Raghunathpur in Bihar’s Buxar district on Wednesday night.

    ALSO READ | Four killed, 100 injured as North East Superfast Express derails in Bihar’s Buxar

    An eight-year-old girl, identified as Akriti Bhandari, and her mother Usha Bhandari (37) who were travelling to Assam were among the four passengers who died in the derailment, the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of the East Central Railway said.

    “The girl’s father, who was also travelling with them, survived the accident. Narendra Kumar from Rajasthan and Abu Zayed (27) from Purnia were the other two who lost their lives. Zayed’s friend, who was travelling with him, survived the accident,” the CPRO added.

    He also informed that many people, who received minor injuries and were discharged within hours of the accident, were accommodated in a special train which left for the destination stations.

    “Based on the medical advice of doctors, we are providing ambulance facilities to passengers to be dropped at home even if they are from distant places in Bihar and West Bengal,” the CPRO said.

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    NEW DELHI: Fault in tracks was the possible cause of derailment of all the coaches of the Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express in Bihar, sources said on Thursday citing a preliminary investigation report.

    At least four people were killed and several injured in the accident in Bihar’s Buxar district Wednesday night.

    “It seems that derailment occurred due to fault in tracks,” the report, signed by six railway officials, stated.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Highlighting the condition of passenger coaches, the report stated that all 22 coaches and the engine derailed — two of them were fully capsized and two others turned turtle.

    The probe report has estimated the cost of damage due to the accident at more than Rs 52 crore.

    The loco pilot, Vipin Kumar Sinha, suffered minor injuries and his assistant sustained serious injuries in the accident.

    The report also contained a statement from Sinha who said that the train passed Raghunathpur station, near which the accident occurred, at a speed of 128 km per hour, but soon after it crossed the station section, it suffered a severe jolt at the rear end with excessive vibration.

    As a result of the excessive vibration and the severe jolt, the brake pipe pressure dropped suddenly and the train derailed at 9:52 pm, the preliminary report quoted the loco pilot as saying.

    According to Sinha’s statement, he took charge of the train from Deen Dayal Upadhyay station at 8:27 pm when everything was fine.

    He said that the train reached Buxar at 9:29 pm when the assistant loco pilot again did an inspection of the engine and found everything fine.

    The report also quoted a gateman and a pointsman at the Raghunathpur station as saying that they saw sparks coming from near the wheels of the train.

    “As per a statement from the gateman of LC (Level Crossing) Gate no 59B, train no 12506 passed the gate and just after passing 8-10 coaches, he observed sparking and heard heavy noise,” the report stated.

    The report stated a breath analyser test of the loco pilot and his assistant was negative.

    At least four people died and several were injured when the train derailed near Raghunathpur in Bihar’s Buxar district on Wednesday night.

    ALSO READ | Four killed, 100 injured as North East Superfast Express derails in Bihar’s Buxar

    An eight-year-old girl, identified as Akriti Bhandari, and her mother Usha Bhandari (37) who were travelling to Assam were among the four passengers who died in the derailment, the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of the East Central Railway said.

    “The girl’s father, who was also travelling with them, survived the accident. Narendra Kumar from Rajasthan and Abu Zayed (27) from Purnia were the other two who lost their lives. Zayed’s friend, who was travelling with him, survived the accident,” the CPRO added.

    He also informed that many people, who received minor injuries and were discharged within hours of the accident, were accommodated in a special train which left for the destination stations.

    “Based on the medical advice of doctors, we are providing ambulance facilities to passengers to be dropped at home even if they are from distant places in Bihar and West Bengal,” the CPRO said.

    Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

  • Cops suspended for throwing accident victim’s body into canal in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur

    By PTI

    MUZAFFARPUR: Bihar Police on Sunday suspended three cops who were caught on camera while dumping remains of an accident victim into a canal near Dhodhi canal bridge in Fakuli outpost area of Muzaffarpur district, police said.

    A video of the incident had gone viral on social media earlier in the day.

    According to a statement by the office of the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Muzaffarpur, “Authenticity of the video was examined and it turned out to be genuine. It’s an unfortunate incident and the cops who were present there failed to perform their duty properly. The driver constable involved has been suspended, while the contracts of two home guard jawans on duty has been terminated”.

    Parts of the body that could be salvaged were sent for postmortem, it said, adding the identity of the victim could not be ascertained so far.

    The footage, captured by a passerby, revealed two police officers dragging the blood-soaked body of a man when a third policeman accompanied them to help.

    They were also seen using their batons to push a body (probably the victim) into the canal.

    MUZAFFARPUR: Bihar Police on Sunday suspended three cops who were caught on camera while dumping remains of an accident victim into a canal near Dhodhi canal bridge in Fakuli outpost area of Muzaffarpur district, police said.

    A video of the incident had gone viral on social media earlier in the day.

    According to a statement by the office of the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Muzaffarpur, “Authenticity of the video was examined and it turned out to be genuine. It’s an unfortunate incident and the cops who were present there failed to perform their duty properly. The driver constable involved has been suspended, while the contracts of two home guard jawans on duty has been terminated”.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Parts of the body that could be salvaged were sent for postmortem, it said, adding the identity of the victim could not be ascertained so far.

    The footage, captured by a passerby, revealed two police officers dragging the blood-soaked body of a man when a third policeman accompanied them to help.

    They were also seen using their batons to push a body (probably the victim) into the canal.

  • OBCs and EBCs form nearly two-thirds of Bihar population, caste survey reveals

    By PTI

    PATNA: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday released findings of its much-awaited caste survey which revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of the state’s total population.

    According to the data released here by Development Commissioner Vivek Singh, the state’s total population stood at a little over 13.07 crore, out of which the Extremely Backward Classes (36 per cent) were the largest social segment followed by the Other Backward Classes at 27.13 per cent.

    The survey also stated that Yadavs, the OBC group to which Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav belongs, were the largest in terms of the population, accounting for 14.27 per cent of the total.

    Dalits, also known as the Scheduled Castes, accounted for 19.65 per cent of the total population in the state, which is also home to nearly 22 lakh (1.68 per cent) people belonging to the Scheduled Tribes.

    Those belonging to the “unreserved” category, which denotes the proverbial “upper castes” who dominated politics till the Mandal wave of the 1990s, comprise 15.52 per cent of the total population.

    The survey also establishes that the state’s population is overwhelmingly Hindu, with the majority community comprising 81.99 per cent of the total population, followed by Muslims (17.70 per cent).

    Christians, Sikhs, Jains and those following other religions as also the non-believers have a miniscule presence, together making up for less than one per cent of the total population.

    Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came out with a statement lauding the teams of government officials who undertook the gigantic exercise.

    He also said, “A meeting will soon be convened of all the nine political parties with an electoral presence in the state legislature and the facts and figures will be shared with them.”

    RJD president Lalu Prasad, who is Kumar’s ally as well as the father of his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, also issued a statement, declaring that the exercise will set the tone for “a nationwide caste census which will be undertaken when we form the next government at the Centre”.

    Both Prasad and Kumar have played an instrumental role in the formation of the INDIA coalition, which affirmed its commitment to holding a caste census at a meeting it held in Bengaluru recently.

    Notably, the survey was ordered last year after the Narendra Modi government at the Centre made it clear that it would not be able to undertake a headcount of castes other than SCs and STs as part of the census.

    The last time, a headcount of all castes was undertaken, was way back in 1931.

    Those calling for a fresh caste survey insist that a new estimate was required mainly for the weaker sections of the society which, with improved life expectancy in the post-Independence era, must have seen a rise in their proportion of the population.

    The state cabinet gave its nod to hold a caste survey on June 2 last year when it also allocated an amount of Rs 500 crore for the mammoth exercise.

    The survey briefly ran into rough weather when it was stayed by the Patna High Court which was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the exercise.

    However, the deadline it then set, of February 2023, was overshot and the survey itself could take off no sooner than January 7 this year.

    Leaders of the ruling Mahagathbandhan in the state have been alleging that those filing petitions were “BJP supporters”, a charge denied by the saffron party which underscores that it was in the government when the cabinet nod was given for the survey.

    PATNA: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday released findings of its much-awaited caste survey which revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of the state’s total population.

    According to the data released here by Development Commissioner Vivek Singh, the state’s total population stood at a little over 13.07 crore, out of which the Extremely Backward Classes (36 per cent) were the largest social segment followed by the Other Backward Classes at 27.13 per cent.

    The survey also stated that Yadavs, the OBC group to which Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav belongs, were the largest in terms of the population, accounting for 14.27 per cent of the total.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Dalits, also known as the Scheduled Castes, accounted for 19.65 per cent of the total population in the state, which is also home to nearly 22 lakh (1.68 per cent) people belonging to the Scheduled Tribes.

    Those belonging to the “unreserved” category, which denotes the proverbial “upper castes” who dominated politics till the Mandal wave of the 1990s, comprise 15.52 per cent of the total population.

    The survey also establishes that the state’s population is overwhelmingly Hindu, with the majority community comprising 81.99 per cent of the total population, followed by Muslims (17.70 per cent).

    Christians, Sikhs, Jains and those following other religions as also the non-believers have a miniscule presence, together making up for less than one per cent of the total population.

    Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came out with a statement lauding the teams of government officials who undertook the gigantic exercise.

    He also said, “A meeting will soon be convened of all the nine political parties with an electoral presence in the state legislature and the facts and figures will be shared with them.”

    RJD president Lalu Prasad, who is Kumar’s ally as well as the father of his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, also issued a statement, declaring that the exercise will set the tone for “a nationwide caste census which will be undertaken when we form the next government at the Centre”.

    Both Prasad and Kumar have played an instrumental role in the formation of the INDIA coalition, which affirmed its commitment to holding a caste census at a meeting it held in Bengaluru recently.

    Notably, the survey was ordered last year after the Narendra Modi government at the Centre made it clear that it would not be able to undertake a headcount of castes other than SCs and STs as part of the census.

    The last time, a headcount of all castes was undertaken, was way back in 1931.

    Those calling for a fresh caste survey insist that a new estimate was required mainly for the weaker sections of the society which, with improved life expectancy in the post-Independence era, must have seen a rise in their proportion of the population.

    The state cabinet gave its nod to hold a caste survey on June 2 last year when it also allocated an amount of Rs 500 crore for the mammoth exercise.

    The survey briefly ran into rough weather when it was stayed by the Patna High Court which was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the exercise.

    However, the deadline it then set, of February 2023, was overshot and the survey itself could take off no sooner than January 7 this year.

    Leaders of the ruling Mahagathbandhan in the state have been alleging that those filing petitions were “BJP supporters”, a charge denied by the saffron party which underscores that it was in the government when the cabinet nod was given for the survey.

  • Bihar: 6,146 dengue cases reported in September, highest in last five years

    By PTI

    PATNA: Bihar is witnessing an alarming rise in dengue cases, with 6,146 cases reported in September, the highest for the month in the last five years, according to the health department’s data.

    The state had reported 6,421 cases this year, of which 6,146 were reported only in September, three times the 1,896 registered in September last year.

    As many as 416 cases were reported in the state on Friday, with Patna recording the most at 177, followed by Munger at 33, Saran (28), Bhagalpur (27) and Begusarai (17).

    According to the National Center for Vector Borne Disease Control of the Union Health Ministry, seven dengue deaths have been reported in Bihar till September 17 this year.

    As per the health department’s data, a total of 13,972 cases were reported last year.

    As many as 295 people were undergoing treatment at 12 government hospitals till September 30, including 127 at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur, 39 at VIMS in Pawapuri and 28 at Patna Medical College and Hospital.

    PATNA: Bihar is witnessing an alarming rise in dengue cases, with 6,146 cases reported in September, the highest for the month in the last five years, according to the health department’s data.

    The state had reported 6,421 cases this year, of which 6,146 were reported only in September, three times the 1,896 registered in September last year.

    As many as 416 cases were reported in the state on Friday, with Patna recording the most at 177, followed by Munger at 33, Saran (28), Bhagalpur (27) and Begusarai (17).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    According to the National Center for Vector Borne Disease Control of the Union Health Ministry, seven dengue deaths have been reported in Bihar till September 17 this year.

    As per the health department’s data, a total of 13,972 cases were reported last year.

    As many as 295 people were undergoing treatment at 12 government hospitals till September 30, including 127 at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur, 39 at VIMS in Pawapuri and 28 at Patna Medical College and Hospital.

  • Patna high court gives clearance to a caste-based survey in Bihar

    By Express News Service

    PATNA: The Patna high court on Tuesday dismissed all five PIL pleas challenging the decision of the Bihar government to conduct a caste-based survey in the state. The order came as a major relief for the state government as it is likely to resume the caste census. 

    After hearing a total of five PIL pleas challenging various aspects of the survey, a bench of chief justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Partha Sarthy pronounced in open court that all pleas have been dismissed.

    On July 7, the court had reserved its order and fixed August 1 to pronounce its order after hearing the pleas of the petitioners.

    The Bihar government, on the other hand, had submitted before the court that 80% of the survey was complete. The first phase, which began on January 7, was a household counting exercise and it was completed by January 21.

    The second phase started on April 15, wherein the information on people’s caste and their social-economic condition was collected. The entire exercise was scheduled to end by May 2023.

    However, hearing the PIL pleas against the Bihar government’s ambitious decision, the Patna high court, on May 4, put an interim stay on it while observing that it prima facie amounts to a census that the state government has no power to carry out.

    Advocate Dinu Kumar, appearing on behalf of one of the petitioners, said that they would move the Supreme Court against the order of the high court. He said the decision to move the apex court would be taken after going through the order of the high court.

    PATNA: The Patna high court on Tuesday dismissed all five PIL pleas challenging the decision of the Bihar government to conduct a caste-based survey in the state. The order came as a major relief for the state government as it is likely to resume the caste census. 

    After hearing a total of five PIL pleas challenging various aspects of the survey, a bench of chief justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Partha Sarthy pronounced in open court that all pleas have been dismissed.

    On July 7, the court had reserved its order and fixed August 1 to pronounce its order after hearing the pleas of the petitioners.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The Bihar government, on the other hand, had submitted before the court that 80% of the survey was complete. The first phase, which began on January 7, was a household counting exercise and it was completed by January 21.

    The second phase started on April 15, wherein the information on people’s caste and their social-economic condition was collected. The entire exercise was scheduled to end by May 2023.

    However, hearing the PIL pleas against the Bihar government’s ambitious decision, the Patna high court, on May 4, put an interim stay on it while observing that it prima facie amounts to a census that the state government has no power to carry out.

    Advocate Dinu Kumar, appearing on behalf of one of the petitioners, said that they would move the Supreme Court against the order of the high court. He said the decision to move the apex court would be taken after going through the order of the high court.

  • Man dies in police custody in Bihar’s Begusarai 

    By PTI

    BEGUSARAI: A 50-year-old man died in police custody in Bihar’s Begusarai district, hours after being arrested for allegedly opening fire on and setting ablaze a neighbour’s house, a senior official said on Friday.

    A magisterial probe has been ordered into the death of Hiragaj Yadav, who fell ill on Thursday evening and was declared dead by doctors at the hospital where he was rushed to by police personnel, said Superintendent of Police Yogendra Kumar.

    Yadav, who recently came out on bail after spending 12 years behind bars serving sentence in a murder case, was named in many cases in Begusarai and neighbouring Khagaria district, said the SP.

    On Thursday, he was arrested and brought to Bakhri police station in connection with an FIR lodged by a neighbour who had accused him of opening firing and arson.

    During interrogation, Yadav fell unconscious following which he was rushed to the hospital.

    The SP said a videographed post-mortem examination has also been conducted on the deceased.

    Heavy deployment of forces has been made at the police station to avert any untoward incident in view of villagers thronging the area upon learning about the death, the SP said.

    BEGUSARAI: A 50-year-old man died in police custody in Bihar’s Begusarai district, hours after being arrested for allegedly opening fire on and setting ablaze a neighbour’s house, a senior official said on Friday.

    A magisterial probe has been ordered into the death of Hiragaj Yadav, who fell ill on Thursday evening and was declared dead by doctors at the hospital where he was rushed to by police personnel, said Superintendent of Police Yogendra Kumar.

    Yadav, who recently came out on bail after spending 12 years behind bars serving sentence in a murder case, was named in many cases in Begusarai and neighbouring Khagaria district, said the SP.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    On Thursday, he was arrested and brought to Bakhri police station in connection with an FIR lodged by a neighbour who had accused him of opening firing and arson.

    During interrogation, Yadav fell unconscious following which he was rushed to the hospital.

    The SP said a videographed post-mortem examination has also been conducted on the deceased.

    Heavy deployment of forces has been made at the police station to avert any untoward incident in view of villagers thronging the area upon learning about the death, the SP said.

  • BJP slams Bihar govt after leader allegedly dies in police lathi charge, doctors say no external injury

    Express News Service

    PATNA: A 40-year-old BJP leader died after allegedly sustaining injuries on his head when police on Thursday resorted to a lathi charge at Dakbunglow roundabout in the state capital to stop a march to the assembly by party leaders and workers.

    Angered over the death of BJP leader Vijay Kumar Singh, Jehanabad district general secretary of the BJP, the state BJP president Samrat Choudhary said that his party would file a murder case against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

    “We will continue our agitation against the state government. We have given a call for a Vidhan Sabha march on Friday to protest the police lathicharge,” BJP chief Choudhary said, criticising the grand alliance government for police atrocities and highhandedness.

    On the other hand, Patna’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajiv Mishra said that Singh was found in an unconscious condition in Chhajubagh locality. He was rushed to the PMCH for treatment.

    The SSP said that CCTV cameras were being verified to ascertain the truth. “We can’t confirm the reason behind Singh’s death at this stage,” he told media persons.

    Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) superintendent Dr I S Thakur said that Singh was alive when he was brought to the hospital and he was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. Singh’s life could not be saved even though doctors made their best efforts to save him, he said.

    He said that no external injury was found on him and the exact reason behind his death would be known only after the post-mortem examination. “We have informed the family about the incident,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Proudly earthy and rustic: Bihari food is one of India’s underrated culinary traditions

    Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said that BJP leaders and workers would march to Raj Bhawan on Friday in protest against the death of the party leader.

    Earlier, former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted confirming the death of the party functionary in the police lathicharge. Police carried out a lathi charge, used water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells on BJP leaders and workers when they were advancing towards the assembly against the rescinding of the domicile policy in recruitment of school teachers and in support of various demands.

    BJP leaders and workers started their march from the historic Gandhi Maidan but they were intercepted at Dakbunglow roundabout as a huge contingent of security personnel stopped them from advancing to the assembly.

    BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal sustained injuries on his head in the police action. Several party workers were also injured when the police, apparently without exercising any restraint, used force to stop them.

    Later, police personnel also put up barricades to stop party leaders and workers from advancing further. State BJP Samrat Choudhary along with other senior party leaders including former minister Nitin Nabin squatted on dharna at the site. Choudhary alleged that the Nitish government ‘butchered’ democracy by beating up BJP leaders and workers during their protest.

    Reacting sharply to the lathi charge, BJP president JP Nadda tweeted, “The lathicharge on BJP workers in Patna is the result of the failure and indignation of the state government. The Grand Alliance government is attacking democracy to save the citadel of corruption. To save the person who has been chargesheeted, the Chief Minister of Bihar has even forgotten his morality.”

    Former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that democracy was in danger as the state government took such a harsh measure to stop the march being taken out by party leaders and workers.

    PATNA: A 40-year-old BJP leader died after allegedly sustaining injuries on his head when police on Thursday resorted to a lathi charge at Dakbunglow roundabout in the state capital to stop a march to the assembly by party leaders and workers.

    Angered over the death of BJP leader Vijay Kumar Singh, Jehanabad district general secretary of the BJP, the state BJP president Samrat Choudhary said that his party would file a murder case against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

    “We will continue our agitation against the state government. We have given a call for a Vidhan Sabha march on Friday to protest the police lathicharge,” BJP chief Choudhary said, criticising the grand alliance government for police atrocities and highhandedness.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    On the other hand, Patna’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajiv Mishra said that Singh was found in an unconscious condition in Chhajubagh locality. He was rushed to the PMCH for treatment.

    The SSP said that CCTV cameras were being verified to ascertain the truth. “We can’t confirm the reason behind Singh’s death at this stage,” he told media persons.

    Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) superintendent Dr I S Thakur said that Singh was alive when he was brought to the hospital and he was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. Singh’s life could not be saved even though doctors made their best efforts to save him, he said.

    He said that no external injury was found on him and the exact reason behind his death would be known only after the post-mortem examination. “We have informed the family about the incident,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Proudly earthy and rustic: Bihari food is one of India’s underrated culinary traditions

    Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said that BJP leaders and workers would march to Raj Bhawan on Friday in protest against the death of the party leader.

    Earlier, former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted confirming the death of the party functionary in the police lathicharge. Police carried out a lathi charge, used water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells on BJP leaders and workers when they were advancing towards the assembly against the rescinding of the domicile policy in recruitment of school teachers and in support of various demands.

    BJP leaders and workers started their march from the historic Gandhi Maidan but they were intercepted at Dakbunglow roundabout as a huge contingent of security personnel stopped them from advancing to the assembly.

    BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal sustained injuries on his head in the police action. Several party workers were also injured when the police, apparently without exercising any restraint, used force to stop them.

    Later, police personnel also put up barricades to stop party leaders and workers from advancing further. State BJP Samrat Choudhary along with other senior party leaders including former minister Nitin Nabin squatted on dharna at the site. Choudhary alleged that the Nitish government ‘butchered’ democracy by beating up BJP leaders and workers during their protest.

    Reacting sharply to the lathi charge, BJP president JP Nadda tweeted, “The lathicharge on BJP workers in Patna is the result of the failure and indignation of the state government. The Grand Alliance government is attacking democracy to save the citadel of corruption. To save the person who has been chargesheeted, the Chief Minister of Bihar has even forgotten his morality.”

    Former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that democracy was in danger as the state government took such a harsh measure to stop the march being taken out by party leaders and workers.

  • Road to 2024: Meeting of opposition parties to be held in Patna on June 12

    Express News Service

    PATNA: A much-awaited meeting of Opposition parties to chalk out strategy to counter the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is set to be held in Patna on June 12. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will chair the meeting.

    Nitish hinted at the proposed meeting of Opposition parties to be held in the state capital on June 12 while speaking on the concluding day of the two-day conclave of the JD(U) office bearers in Patna on Sunday.

    Kumar, the JD(U)’s supremo, has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Leaders from several parties have thanked him on the occasion and appreciated his step.

    “We have been working for Opposition unity ever since the grand alliance government was formed in Bihar. The positive result of our efforts for uniting Opposition parties against BJP will be visible soon,” he asserted.

    He said the date of the meeting has been finalised after consultation with leaders from Opposition parties across the country. On May 22, Nitish had called on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

    At the joint press conference, both Rahul and Nitish had said that the date of the meeting of Opposition parties would be finalised in two-three days. The leaders of over two dozen non-BJP parties will attend the meeting.

    Earlier, Nitish had met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    A meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, ostensibly to seek land for a Bihar government guest house in that state, is being used by BJP to mock Kumar as the Biju Janata Dal supremo has virtually ruled out joining any broader formation.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    All eyes would now be on which parties agree to be represented in the meeting, given faultlines like Congress’ mistrust of Kejriwal and KCR and Banerjee’s famed rivalry with the Left.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

    PATNA: A much-awaited meeting of Opposition parties to chalk out strategy to counter the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is set to be held in Patna on June 12. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will chair the meeting.

    Nitish hinted at the proposed meeting of Opposition parties to be held in the state capital on June 12 while speaking on the concluding day of the two-day conclave of the JD(U) office bearers in Patna on Sunday.

    Kumar, the JD(U)’s supremo, has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Leaders from several parties have thanked him on the occasion and appreciated his step.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    “We have been working for Opposition unity ever since the grand alliance government was formed in Bihar. The positive result of our efforts for uniting Opposition parties against BJP will be visible soon,” he asserted.

    He said the date of the meeting has been finalised after consultation with leaders from Opposition parties across the country. On May 22, Nitish had called on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

    At the joint press conference, both Rahul and Nitish had said that the date of the meeting of Opposition parties would be finalised in two-three days. The leaders of over two dozen non-BJP parties will attend the meeting.

    Earlier, Nitish had met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    A meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, ostensibly to seek land for a Bihar government guest house in that state, is being used by BJP to mock Kumar as the Biju Janata Dal supremo has virtually ruled out joining any broader formation.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    All eyes would now be on which parties agree to be represented in the meeting, given faultlines like Congress’ mistrust of Kejriwal and KCR and Banerjee’s famed rivalry with the Left.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

  • Bundles of currency notes found floating in Bihar drain

    By IANS

    PATNA: What would you do if bundles of currency notes are dumped in bulk in a drain? A similar thing happened in Bihar’s Rohtas district where a number of people fished out currency notes from a drain in Moradabad village on Saturday.

    A video of the incident went viral on social media where a number of people could be seen entering the drain and collecting currency notes in the denomination of Rs 2,000, Rs 500, Rs 100 and Rs 10.

    The local villagers claimed that early in the morning, they saw bags containing currency notes inside the drain. Soon, a large number of people jumped in and started collecting the notes. They also claimed that the notes were genuine.

    The district administration is probing if the currency notes are genuine and who dumped them in the drain.

    PATNA: What would you do if bundles of currency notes are dumped in bulk in a drain? A similar thing happened in Bihar’s Rohtas district where a number of people fished out currency notes from a drain in Moradabad village on Saturday.

    A video of the incident went viral on social media where a number of people could be seen entering the drain and collecting currency notes in the denomination of Rs 2,000, Rs 500, Rs 100 and Rs 10.

    The local villagers claimed that early in the morning, they saw bags containing currency notes inside the drain. Soon, a large number of people jumped in and started collecting the notes. They also claimed that the notes were genuine.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The district administration is probing if the currency notes are genuine and who dumped them in the drain.

  • Patna HC stays Bihar govt’s caste survey, says state has no power to carry out the census

    By PTI

    PATNA: The Patna High Court on Thursday ordered a stay on the caste survey being conducted by the state government.

    Hearing a bunch of petitions, a division bench of Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Madhuresh Prasad directed the government to immediately stop the caste-based survey, and ensure that the data already collected are secured and not shared with anybody till final orders are passed.

    The court fixed July 7 as the next date for the hearing.

    “We are of the considered opinion that the petitioners have made out a prima facie case against the continuation of the process of caste-based survey, as attempted by the State of Bihar. There is also the question raised of data integrity and security which has to be more elaborately addressed by the State,” the court said.

    “Prima facie, we are of the opinion that the State has no power to carry out a caste-based survey, in the manner in which it is fashioned now, which would amount to a census, thus impinging upon the legislative power of the Union Parliament,” it added.

    ALSO READ | Can Bihar’s caste survey prove a headache for PM Modi?

    Expressing concern, the court noted the government’s intention to share data from the survey with the leaders of different parties in the state assembly.

    “There definitely arises the larger question of the right to privacy, which the Supreme Court has held to be a facet of the right to life,” it said.

    The first round of caste surveys in Bihar was conducted between January 7 and 21.

    The second round started on April 15 and was supposed to continue till May 15.

    The petitions before the high court was filed by a social outfit and some individuals, who had last month moved the Supreme Court after their request for an ‘interim relief’ in the form of a stay on the survey was turned down.

    The apex court refused to interfere as well and referred them back to the high court with directions that their petition be decided expeditiously.

    Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has maintained that the state is not conducting a caste census but only collecting information related to people’s economic status and their caste so that specific steps could be taken by the government to serve them better.

    PATNA: The Patna High Court on Thursday ordered a stay on the caste survey being conducted by the state government.

    Hearing a bunch of petitions, a division bench of Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Madhuresh Prasad directed the government to immediately stop the caste-based survey, and ensure that the data already collected are secured and not shared with anybody till final orders are passed.

    The court fixed July 7 as the next date for the hearing.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “We are of the considered opinion that the petitioners have made out a prima facie case against the continuation of the process of caste-based survey, as attempted by the State of Bihar. There is also the question raised of data integrity and security which has to be more elaborately addressed by the State,” the court said.

    “Prima facie, we are of the opinion that the State has no power to carry out a caste-based survey, in the manner in which it is fashioned now, which would amount to a census, thus impinging upon the legislative power of the Union Parliament,” it added.

    ALSO READ | Can Bihar’s caste survey prove a headache for PM Modi?

    Expressing concern, the court noted the government’s intention to share data from the survey with the leaders of different parties in the state assembly.

    “There definitely arises the larger question of the right to privacy, which the Supreme Court has held to be a facet of the right to life,” it said.

    The first round of caste surveys in Bihar was conducted between January 7 and 21.

    The second round started on April 15 and was supposed to continue till May 15.

    The petitions before the high court was filed by a social outfit and some individuals, who had last month moved the Supreme Court after their request for an ‘interim relief’ in the form of a stay on the survey was turned down.

    The apex court refused to interfere as well and referred them back to the high court with directions that their petition be decided expeditiously.

    Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has maintained that the state is not conducting a caste census but only collecting information related to people’s economic status and their caste so that specific steps could be taken by the government to serve them better.