The stand-off between the RJD and BJP spilled on to the streets on Wednesday, when Patna's Beer Chand Patel Path, that houses state headquarters of both the parties, turned into a battlefield with workers indulging in violent clashes and stone-pelting.
The clash comes a day after the Income Tax department raided and surveyed multiple locations in connection with alleged benami deals of RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Sources said the RJD men were miffed by the raids and about a hundred odd workers marched bare-bodied to the BJP office, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who has been 'exposing' Lalu's deals since April 4.
With most of the BJP cadre leaving for party's pre-scheduled demonstration against Lalu and the Bihar government at Patna's Gardanibagh, the remaining few were outnumbered by the RJD workers and many sustained serious head injuries. A number of vehicles were also damaged during the ruckus.
Later, some BJP workers tried marching towards the RJD office, but were stopped by the police. They, however, blocked one of the main roads of the state capital for several hours.
The situation came under control only after a heavy deployment of police in the area with Patna City superintendent of police (SP) Chandan Kushwaha camping at the spot. "We will identify all those who tried to take law and order into their hands and take strict action against them," Kushwaha said.
The political blamegame commenced with BJP asking Chief Minister Nitish Kumar: "Where the sushashan when ruling party workers attack our partymen?"
BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi questioned why the police allowed the RJD to hold a bare-bodied dharna outside their office, when it is a restricted area. "The incident took place when CM Nitish was a stone's throw away at a hotel on the same Beer Chand Patel Path and police were mute spectators to RJD's rampage. Is this sushashan?" he asked.
The RJD, while conceding that the protestors were their party men, claimed that the clash started when the BJP people hurled "beer bottles" on their workers. "Our protest was peaceful until the BJP men turned violent," RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said.
Bihar BJP President Nityanand Rai said the party will resort to legal recourse against the "cowardly deed".
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