Like many other states, Bihar too witnessed severe violence during the anti-CAA ‘bandh’ called by RJD on December 21. The violent mob with the help of the members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal had within no time descended into an excuse to cause riots, violence, arson and vandalisation.
While investigating the incidents of statewide violence which occurred on December 21, the Patna Police today got their hands on Congress leader Ashutosh Sharma who has been accused of attacking media people during the Bihar bandh and has been on the run since then.
Congress leader Ashutosh Sharma was caught on camera assaulting journalists at the Dak Bungalow Chowk in Patna on Saturday. The Congress leader was reportedly on the run after the case was registered against him.
In what transpired on December 21 in Patna, Republic TV’s reporter Prakash Singh was heckled and then later manhandled by Congress supporters protesting against the amended Citizenship Act in Patna on Saturday.
Visuals emerged showing the reporter in a heated discussion with a protestor blocking the reporter from reporting on the protest. Later it is seen that the reporter is being pushed by the crowd of protestors from the venue shouting ‘Go away from here’. The crew’s cameraman was also pushed away from the area by the same supporters.
Now, according to the CCTV footage, it is being said that these lumpen elements who attacked the media persons in Patna were instigated by Congress leader Ashutosh Sharma.
The Police have said that they have been in the lookout for the politician since he went missing immediately after the incident on December 21. However, according to a report by News 4 Nation, the Congress leader was spotted performing Rudra-Abhishek in a temple in Patna on Tuesday. He had reportedly also uploaded his pictures on Facebook.
The RJD had called for a Bandh in Bihar on Saturday when the violence took place. During the bandh, the rioters destroyed a Hanuman temple in Patna’s Phulwari. During the bandh, many RJD workers, armed with sticks and flags with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s face on it, vandalised autorickshaws.
While the violence in Patna on Saturday injured as many as 25 people, OpIndia could not independently verify the claims that one person was shot dead in the riots. At least 11 people, including 2 policemen were admitted to AIIMS, of which six had bullet injuries.
