Tejashwi seeks arrest of Union Minister's son over communal clashes

Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday demanded the arrest of Union Minister Ashwani Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat for taking out a procession without prior permission in Bhagalpur district which resulted in communal clashes there.

"More than four days after Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat led a procession without permission that caused communal clashes and tension, the Nitish Kumar government is yet to arrest him. RJD demands arrest of Choubey's son for communal clashes," Tejashwi, also a former Deputy Chief Minister, said.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bihar, Ashwani Choubey is currently the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare in the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

A case was lodged against Choubey's son for taking out the procession without prior permission, inciting communal sentiment and roaming on the roads with arms.

The procession was organised by the Bharatiya Navvarsh Jagran Samiti ahead of the Hindu New Year that fell on Sunday.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said although Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had repeatedly spoken of not compromising with divisive forces, his government was yet to act against his ally BJP's leaders, including Union Minister Giriraj Singh and state party president Nityanand Rai.

While Singh had publicly stated that Araria would turn into a hub of terror outfit ISIS if RJD candidate Sarfaraz Alam won the Lok Sabha seat in the bypolls, Rai allegedly incited party workers against a Muslim police officer in Darbhanga district.

Shashwat had unsuccessfully contested the last Bihar Assembly polls as the BJP candidate from Bhagalpur, considered a stronghold of Choubey.

Choubey was elected MP from the Buxar Lok Sabha seat in 2014.

In view of the tension in the area, additional security forces have been deployed and internet services have remained suspended since Saturday night.

Bhagalpur is a communally sensitive district as it witnessed one of the worst communal riots in 1989 in which more than 1,000 people were killed.

--IANS

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