JD(U) leader fired in air to intimidate protesters: Siddique

"Television footage purportedly showed JD(U) leader Ranveer Yadav firing a carbine during protests in Khagaria district at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 'Adhikar Yatra'," he said.

The Leader of the Opposition was referring to the news channel footage showing Yadav snatching the carbine from a police officer and firing in the air to intimidate protesters to clear road for the chief minister's cavalcade yesterday.

"If the state government was so committed to enforce the rule of law, then why no action was taken against Yadav even 24 hours after occurrence of the incident?" Siddique sought to know.

The display of carbine in a public place by a citizen amounts to be a cognizable offence, the RJD leader said and asked the police to explain why no FIR was filed against the JD(U) strongman and husband of ruling party MLA Poonam Devi.

He held Kumar responsible for the protests by contractual teachers and others yesterday and alleged that the chief minister had made provocative remarks which did not go down well with the protesters.

"The largescale violence by protesters in Khagaria district and elsewhere is a manifestation of public anger against the state government for its failure on all fronts," he said.

On Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's accusation that the violence was orchestrated at the behest of the RJD and other opposition parties, Siddique said it was a failure of intelligence agencies in such a case.

Asked about the demand for a high-level probe into the violence, he said, "Let the state government get the incidents probed by even the CBI."