Villagers attack team probing temple purification

Angry villagers today allegedly attacked Darbhanga Divisional Commissioner Vandana Kini and zonal IG A K Ambedkar, who had gone to Madhubani district to probe whether a village temple located there was washed after the visit of Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, police said.
Two police personnel were injured in the incident.
Manjhi had told reporters on Sunday that Brahmeshwar temple located at Andhrathadi village in Madhubani was washed after his visit during assembly by-poll campaign in July this year.
Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) P K Thakur today called it a "minor incident" and said the situation was under control.

"We came to know about the incident and two police personnel received minor injuries. We have taken stock of the situation and it is under control," Thakur told reporters.
The CM had said that Mines and Geology Minister Ramlashan Ram Raman and JD(U) MLC Vinod Kumar Singh had informed him about the purification of the temple, both of them have denied saying any such thing. Manjhi ordered a probe saying he had no confusion about the incident.

The police said when the probe team of Kini and Ambedkar visited the village, the people insisted that no such incident had happened after the chief minister's visit. They also pointed out that temple is washed daily in the morning and evening.

The villagers insisted that many government officials belonging to scheduled castes had also visited the temple but and no such incident had ever happened, the police said.
They became angry when leaders belonging to two political parties also arrived to conduct their probe, said a police officer.
When the police personnel deployed around the temple for divisional commissioner and zonal IG's visit tried to control the crowd, they started to pelt stones on them.
In reply to another question regarding attack on Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Vinay Bihari two days ago at a cultural programme in Rohtas district, the DGP said the DM and SP of the district were present at the event and a joint report has been called from them.

"It was a serious incident. Among the arrested persons, two were caught with petrol bottles. Action will be taken after the joint report of DM and SP comes," he said.