Patna: A case was lodged against Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwani Choubey's son in connection with communal clashes during a procession in Bihar's Bhagalpur district, police said on Monday.
"Two cases were lodged in connection with the clashes two days ago. The first was against taking out the procession without permission, inciting communal sentiment and roaming on roads with displaying arms in which Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat and 20 others were named as accused," police officer Md Janeefuddin told.
Janeefuddin said that an investigation has begun into Shashwat's role in the clashes that took place in Nathnagar on Saturday.
The procession was organised by the Bharatiya Navvarsh Jagran Samiti on the eve of the Hindu New Year.
Tension still prevailed in Nathnagar and neighbouring Champanagar areas.
However, Choubey as well as local BJP leaders have claimed that rally organisers had been given permission by the district administration.
The minister also denied that provocative slogans were raised and objectionable songs were played in the procession.
Shashwat had unsuccessfully contested the last Bihar Assembly polls as the BJP candidate from Bhagalpur, considered a stronghold of Choubey.
Additionnal security forces have been deployed and internet services have been suspended since Saturday night.
Bhagalpur is a communally sensitive place as it witnessed one of the worst communal riots in 1989 in which more than 1,000 people were killed.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
