Authorities at the Patna Medical College Hospital said there were no external injuries on the body.
The BJP has alleged that one of its leaders died after police in Patna fired tear gas shells, used water cannons and resorted to a lathicharge to stop party workers from marching to the Bihar Assembly. The march was part of a massive protest organised by the party against the “corruption” carried out by the Nitish Kumar-led state government.
While BJP MP and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi claimed the party’s Jehanabad district general secretary died due to injuries suffered in the “brutal” police lathicharge, authorities at the Patna Medical College Hospital said there were no external injuries on the body.
“Arrested by Bihar police in Patna. Jehanabad dist GS Vijay Kumar Singh died in brutal police lathi charge,” Mr Modi tweeted.
The superintendent of the Patna Medical College Hospital confirmed the BJP leader’s death but hospital authorities said he was brought dead and there were no external injuries on his body. They said only a post-mortem will ascertain the exact cause of death.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, “Vijay Singh sacrificed his life for the rights of the people of Bihar and to ensure that they get justice. The state showed barbarity by ordering a lathicharge and authorising the use of tear gas leading to his death. The government should resign.”
“BJP Members of Parliament, MLAs and workers have been injured in the hundreds and are admitted in different hospitals,” he added.
When it was pointed out to him that the District Magistrate is not confirming this, Mr Rai said he should be asked whether he is looking at the situation through the eyes of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav. “The people will ask these questions of the DM, Nitish ji and Tejashwi ji,” Mr Rai said.
The party’s protest, which started from Gandhi Maidan in Patna, was against corruption and the government doing away with the domicile requirement for the recruitment of teachers.
The protest is part of a larger allegation of corruption that the BJP has levelled against the state government. The party has got more ammunition since Tejashwi Yadav was named in the CBI chargesheet in the land-for-jobs scam on July 3.
