Arson and violence by teachers during Nitish Kumar's meeting

Large scale violence and arson by contractual teachers and protesters marred Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's public meetings in Bihar's Khagaria and Begusarai districts held today to mobilize mass support for grant of special status to the state.

Official sources said the protesters, most of them contractual teachers, set on fire three motorcycles and a jeep belonging to the police near Khagaria district collectorate when they were prevented from entering the venue of the chief minister's public meeting.

The agitators also set ablaze eight to ten hoardings and pelted stones on vehicles of several civil and police officials damaging their window panes.

A mob later stormed into the office of the district magistrate Dharmendra Singh and ransacked furniture and other equipment at the collectorate, the sources said.

As a result of the violence, Kumar's public meeting scheduled for 3 pm could not start till 5 pm as Director General of Police (DGP) Abhayanand tried his best to bring the law and order situation under control but failed to rein in the protesters.

The police trying to disperse the protestors burst teargas shells and fired several rounds in the air. They also lathicharged some protesters who pelted stones on the police.

There was, however, no report of casualty or injury to anyone in the violence by the protesters and subsequent police action.

Kumar finally addressed the meeting at around 5.30 pm where he asserted he would ensure Bihar got special status for development of the state.

A group of protesters set on fire record room in Khagaria district collectorate, the sources said.

Kumar later left for Madhepura district under tight security arrangements, they said.

Earlier in the day, contractual teachers waved black flags, threw eggs and slippers and shouted slogans at his public meeting in Bihar's Begusarai district demanding regularization of services.

The sources said a group of protesting teachers suddenly sprung up from among the local people waiting to welcome Kumar on the road to Gandhi stadium, the venue of the public meeting, waved black flags and raised slogans in support of their demands.

Some protesters ran waving black flags as Kumar's motorcade moved past them.

Protesters owing allegiance to NSUI threw slippers at Kumar's motorcade protesting against acute power shortage and shouted slogans against the state government.

A large crowd of protesters gathered also at the stadium, raised slogans against the chief minister and threw eggs at the dais on which Kumar and other dignitaries were seated, the sources said.

Securitymen in plainsclothes stood in front of the dais and prevented the eggs and other objects being thrown by the protesters from reaching it.

They also lathicharged the protesters to disperse them injuring some of them, including some women.

The pandal, erected for the public meeting, collapsed and about 100 plastic chairs were damaged as protesters tried to escape the lathicharge, the sources added.

Kumar told the public meeting at Begusarai that he was aware at whose behest the protests were being orchestrated against him.

"I know that some people sitting in Patna are orchestrating a vicious campaign against me," he said hinting at RJD and adding he was not going to be 'bothered by it'.

He slammed the protesters saying that these were the people who opposed development of Bihar, were not happy with the prevailing peaceful law and order situation in the state and wanted lawlessness to prevail.

Kumar also warned his detractors that those inciting protest against him should be ready to face the 'same music' at their political functions even in Patna in future.

The chief minister, however, sought to make light of black flags being shown to him by the protesters and said that they perhaps wanted to save him from the 'evil eye' of some people.

The chief minister has been facing the wrath of contractual teachers from September 19 - the first day of his state-wide tour to address 'Adhikar Yatra' to press for special category status to Bihar.

Protesting teachers had disrupted his public meetings at Bettiah, Motihari, Madhubani and other venues and he was shown slippers by protesters at some place.

Later, Khagaria district magistrate told PTI over phone that the law and order situation in the district was under control with additional police personnel deployed at various points as a precautionary measure.

The damaged caused to public properties due to violence and arson by the protesters were being computed, he said.

The protesters had set on fire several vehicles and stomed into the district collectorate premises where they burnt the record rooms and other properties, Singh added.