Modi Chowk row: Union minister, Bihar BJP chief meet grieving family

Union Minister Giriraj Singh and Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nityanand Rai on Saturday met the family of a 70-year-old man who was beheaded allegedly in a dispute over naming a chowk (square) after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The deceased was the father of BJP leader Tej Naraya, who named the chowk after Prime Minister Modi in December 2016.

"The locals are saying that this happened because of naming of Narendra Modi Chowk. They may have had a prior land dispute which is not clear. It is a separate incident which happened earlier; while Superintendents of Police (SP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) are trying to cover it by linking the two cases," Nityanand told media here.

"We will complain about the police officials to the government soon," Nityanand added.

Earlier in the day, the Bihar Police confirmed that the murder of BJP leader Tej Naraya's father in Darbhanga district was a case of old land dispute and has no connection with the naming of chowk.

The police further stated that there is no tension in the village.

BJP leader Tej Naraya, who is a BJP chief from Behala Panchayat, alleged that some bike-borne assailants beheaded his father near Sadar Police Station area.

"Around 40-50 men came on 25-30 bikes with hockey sticks and swords. My father went to them to explain the situation over naming the chowk after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but was beheaded," Naraya, son of the 70-year-old man who was beheaded, told ANI.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi also termed the incident a case of land dispute.