Jitan Ram Manjhi’s convoy attacked

The convoy of former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi was attacked and the pilot van set on fire by a group of people protesting against the murder of Dumariya block LJP president Sudesh Paswan and his cousin Sunil Paswan on Thursday.

Condemning the attack on Mr Manjhi, LJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Chirag Paswan, who reached Patna on Thursday, called it “an attempt to suppress the voice of the Opposition by supporters of the ruling party”.

The incident occurred when Mr Manjhi was on his way to Dumariya in Gaya district to meet the family members of the slain LJP leader. After the attack on Mr Manjhi, the police opened fire to disperse the unruly crowd and arrested several protesters later.

Sources from Dumariya said that the entire block was badly vandalised by protesters who wanted chief minister Nitish Kumar to visit the place and announce a compensation of `20 lakh for the family members of the slain leader.

Sudesh Paswan, who was a panchayat poll candidate, was gunned down along with his cousin on Wednesday by unidentified assailants belonging to a Naxal outfit. Handwritten posters, which were recovered from the spot, said that all police informers will be killed in the same manner and that the killing was “a warning to all those who thought that the police will help them”.

The slain leader’s wife, Maya Devi, is a mukhiya of Kachar panchayat where, according to sources, she is seeking re-election in the ongoing panchayat polls.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Thursday demanded chief minister Nitish Kumar’s resignation. BJP leader and Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav said, “It seems that Nitish Kumar has lost control on the situation and since he can’t save the people of Bihar, he should resign.”