Owaisi slams Nitish govt over Ram Navami violence in Bihar, demands compensation for victims

Taking to Twitter Asaduddin Owaisi said, "Instead of sending the Hindutvavadis responsible for the violence in Sasaram and Nalanda to jail, only Muslim boys and children are being arrested. On the other hand, the "secular" Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar do not get time in visiting the riot-hit areas."

Patna: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday slammed the Bihar government and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar when he came to know that the communal violence during Ram Navami in Bihar's Nalanda and Sasaram was preplanned and asked why the State government was sleeping.

Taking to Twitter Asaduddin Owaisi wrote in Hindi, "Instead of sending the Hindutvavadis responsible for the violence in Sasaram and Nalanda to jail, only Muslim boys and children are being arrested. On the other hand, the "secular" Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar had failed in maintaining law and order in the state."

Meanwhile, speaking to the media, the AIMIM chief said, "When I spoke about the incident last time, I was informed that it was certainly pre-planned. If it was pre-planned, why were you sleeping?" He also asked if there was violence on March 31, then how the incident was repeated on April 1, and called it a State government failure.

"Permission was given for the procession, the madrasa was burnt in front of the police and the police remained mere spectators," he alleged. "However, even after the incident, the Bihar government has not spoken about the compensation and has not even suspended the policemen, instead are organising Iftar parties and eating Khajuur (dates)," Owaisi said. The AIMIM chief demanded that the government compensation be given to those whose houses were burnt.

After Ram Navami, there was a violent clash between the two groups in Sasaram on March 31. Fierce stone pelting took place between the two sides, due to which tension prevailed in the area. During this time, people set many vehicles on fire. Meanwhile, the district administration then stopped internet services and imposed Section 144 in riot-hit areas.