Even as the tense situation in Bihar’s northern Sitamarhi district close to the Indo-Nepal border following Saturday’s firing by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans eased on Sunday, political bickering began with the Opposition parties targeting the Nitish Kumar-led government for the frequent violent protests.
Three jawans of the SSB, a Central paramilitary force guarding the Indo-Nepal border, were arrested and sent to jail for the firing on thousands of agitating villagers that killed one teenager and injured four others. An officer of the SSB and six jawans were also placed under suspension by the authorities for the way the public protests over molestation charges were handled, said sources.
Two FIRs were lodged at the Bairgania police station by both sides. While local villagers accused the SSB jawans of murder, assault and molestation of girls in their FIR, the SSB authorities charged 4,000 villagers with intentional assault and arson for Saturday’s violent protests.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a senior leader of Bihar’s main Opposition party RJD, visited the firing site along with a few party colleagues for a fact-finding exercise on Sunday and met the families of the dead and the injured. Siddiqui, who is also the leader of the Opposition in Bihar Assembly, held the state government responsible for Saturday’s skirmish and all previous clashes between SSB jawans and the people in Bihar.
“The failure of the state’s machineries for law and order and administration was responsible for this sad incident. We demand that the government pay `50 lakhs to the kin of the dead and a government job to one person from the families of the dead man and each injured person,” said Mr Siddiqui.
Opposition LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan said: “These are symptoms of the fast-growing disease of lawlessness in Bihar under this government. The recent incident of people protesting by pelting stones at the CM’s convoy was a big warning”. Mr Paswan also demanded compensation for the victims of the SSB firing incident.