Source: news18.com
Patna: Passengers of a bus coming to Patna from West
Bengal were allegedly beaten up in Burdwan district of the adjoining
state where a mob attacked them for refusing to halt their journey to
have meal at a roadside eatery, police said on Sunday.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi
targeted the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal over the incident
and questioned the “silence” of opposition political leaders friendly
to her like jailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.
The driver, helper and passengers of the bus which brought them here
from Kolkata have lodged an FIR alleging that they were stopped by the
owner and employees of the eatery and assaulted, Jakkanpur police
station SHO Raghunath Prasad said.
“They complained that the attackers, who were drunk, demanded that all
the passengers get down, have dinner at the eatery and leave after
paying up. When they protested saying they did not want to halt their
journey, the mob began assaulting them saying that they are Biharis and
they must not expect to have their way in West Bengal,” the SHO said.
They also claimed that that they did not get any help from the local
police and hence they were lodging their FIR after reaching Patna, he
said adding that investigations were on.
Meanwhile, Sushil Kumar Modi slammed “Didi’s supporters” for keeping mum
on the incident. “Didi’s supporters like Lalu Prasad are maintaining
silence over the episode. They had invited her to Patna for a dharna
against demonetisation and shared the stage with her at a rally in
Kolkata recently. They should disclose why they are not talking to her
over the attacks on Biharis in West Bengal,” Modi added.
“First Mamata Banerjee attacked the federal structure as envisioned in
the Constitution when she prevented a central agency like CBI from
functioning, Modi tweeted.
He was referring to the Trinamool Congress chief’s dharna earlier this
year when a CBI team had gone to question the city police commissioner
in the Saradha chit fund scam.
“Ever since she received a jolt in the recent Lok Sabha polls, there has
been a spurt in attacks on Biharis in her state,” claimed Modi who had
recently flayed Banerjee for rebuking a group of BJP supporters chanting
“Jai Shri Ram” by calling them “outsiders”.
In the general elections, the BJP’s tally soared from only two five
years ago to 18, only four less than 22, the number of seats won by the
TMC.