Cops also vacated Gandhi Maidan where the Jan Suraaj chief was protesting on a fast-unto-death with the protestors. Cops also checked the vehicles leaving from the spot.

Kishor was sitting on a fast-unto-death protest over the irregularities in the BPSC exam. The protest was launched on January 2 to support protesting students demanding a cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission exam.

#WATCH | BPSC protest | Bihar: Patna Police detains Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan pic.twitter.com/cOnoM7EGW1

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2025

He was taken into an ambulance by the police. Before being detained, the Jan Suraaj chief said the party would file a petition in the High Court on January 7 over BPSC irregularities.

“It is not a matter of decision for us whether we will continue this (protest) or not. We will continue doing what we are doing now, there will be no change in it…We (Jan Suraaj Party) will file a petition in the High Court on the 7th,” said Prashant Kishor.

Earlier on Sunday, Prashant Kishor sat down with protesting students at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. He also urged the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav to lead the protest as he is a “tall” leader and also the Leader of Opposition (LoP).

Kishor was responding to remarks made by the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister. He stated that Yadav, being the LoP, should have taken the lead in the protest instead of him.

“He (Tejashwi Yadav) is a tall leader. He is also the LoP. He should have led the protests. I have been telling them to lead the protest. We will step aside. He said that he was coming to Gandhi Maidan with five lakh people. Students (and their issues) should be talked about. Politics can happen whenever. We don’t have any party banner here. We care about the agenda of the students,” the Jan Suraaj founder told reporters.

“This is not a dharna. This is the passion of the people of Bihar to better their conditions, to secure a better future. In this cold weather, some are singing and you can see people from across the board sitting here. I am tired of answering accusations. Look around, and spot the vanity van if you can. We will sleep here too,” Kishor said.

On Saturday, Tejashwi Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the issue of BPSC protest.

Speaking to ANI, he accused the independent movement of students of being politicised and said that these people joining the protest were the B team of the BJP.

“It is being completely politicised. We feel that the people of Bihar will have to recognise these people who are the BJP’s ‘B’ team and are trying to crush this independent movement. This is highly condemnable,” he said.

On the controversy surrounding Jan Suraaj Chief Prashant Kishor’s vanity van, Yadav stated, “An attempt was made to end the movement. Actors sit in the vanity van and the producer and the director make them sit, we know who is the producer who the director is, and why the actor was made to sit. Everyone knows.”

The students are calling for the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024, conducted by the BPSC on December 13, due to alleged question paper leaks.

(With agency inputs)

The protesters, who were joined earlier in the day by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishore at Gandhi Maidan, attempted to march towards the chief minister’s residence in the evening, prompting police to take action, district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said.

The protesters also tried to jump over barricades while marching from Gandhi Maidan towards JP Golumber, he added.

“The protesters gathered at Gandhi Maidan despite the administration’s warning that any demonstration there would be considered unauthorised. The district police has registered an FIR against 21 known persons, including Prashant Kishore, his party president Manoj Bharti, city-based tutor Ramanshu Mishra and 600-700 unknown persons for organising a gathering of students at Gandhi Maidan even after denial of permission by the authorities”, the DM told PTI.

Kishore, who arrived in the afternoon and left after about an hour, criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for “going to Delhi on a private visit but having no time for the youth of his own state.”

He also suggested that students start a “relay fast” so that fewer people risk their health for the cause.

“The CM does not have time to listen to the grievances of the protesting aspirants and has gone to Delhi. The protest will continue till their demand for the cancellation of the exam is not accepted. I am always with the protesting students”, Kishore said while addressing the BPSC aspirants.

Some protestors were detained by police near JP Golumber when they refused to vacate the roads.

“Water cannons and mild force were used to disperse protestors as some of them blocked traffic by lying on the roads near JP Golumber”, the DM said.

The DM said, “The government has been sensitive towards the concerns of the youth. The chief secretary has agreed to meet a five-member delegation approved by BPSC aspirants who have been pressing for an audience with the CM or some highly placed official. But protestors seemed to be disorganised and unable to nominate five persons”.

Talking to reporters, a BPSC aspirant said, “We never expected that the government would treat us like this. We are fighting for our own rights…we have nothing to do with those who are coming here to support our stir for political gains”.

Police also arrested two Patna-based tutors — Ramanshu Mishra and Rohan Anand — on charges of instigating students, said a top police officer of Patna district.

“Both are out on conditional bail and are undergoing treatment as they are not well”, an official said.

The candidates, who have been protesting for days, are seeking the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) due to allegations of a question paper leak in all centres, arguing that re-examination in just one centre would be unfair.

(Only the headline has been reworked by India.com staff. Copy comes from an agency feed)

Citing eyewitnesses, a report by news agency PTI said Kumar was sandwiched between the buffers of the engine and a coach during a shunting operation. A buffer is a shock-absorbing device on both ends of a train’s engine and coach, designed to reduce the impact of collisions between bogies.

The tragic incident took place on Saturday morning when Raut was decoupling the engine of  Lucknow Junction-Barauni Express (Train No: 15204) at platform number 5 at Barauni Junction, when the train driver suddenly reversed the engine, trapping the railway worker between the buffers, resulting his death on the spot.

A horrifying video showing Raut’s body trapped between the buffers has gone viral on social media platforms.

In Barauni, Bihar, an employee was crushed to death during shunting of train at Barauni Junction

This should be investigated & who ever is guilty behind this should be punished.#TrainAccident #BarauniJunction #Bihar #QuettaRailwayStation #QuettaBlast pic.twitter.com/U9zeEggIb6

— Sumit Jaiswal (@sumitjaiswal02) November 9, 2024

Family alleges negligence

Meanwhile, Amar’s family has accused the railway staff of negligence which resulted in Amar’s tragic demise. Following the incident, family members of the deceased reached the spot and said they would not allow the authorities to conduct post-mortem examination till action is taken against the erring railway staff.

However, the matter was resolved after Vivek Bhushan Sood, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Sonpur division, reached the spot and pacified the agitated family members, assuring action against anyone found responsible.

Guidelines violated?

Sharswati Chandra, Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway, termed the incident as “unfortunate” and asserted that guidelines for such an operation must have been violate, adding that an inquiry has been ordered.

“It is a very unfortunate incident and at the same time, a matter of concern. The set guidelines for such an operation must have been violated,” PTI quoted Chandra as saying.

A high-level enquiry has been ordered to find out the reason behind the incident and strict action will be taken against the erring railway employees after completion of the probe, the CPRO said.

(With PTI inputs)

The IMD said in a statement that heavy rain is likely in West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Jehanabad, Madhubani and Bhojpur districts adding that these districts are at the risk of “low to moderate flash floods in the next 24 hours”.

The Disaster Management Department (DMD) has asked the administration of the districts to remain on alert and take preventive measures in the wake of the forecast. The DMD has also written to the 13 district magistrates in this regard.

Around 12 districts situated along the Ganga, including Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Patna, Samastipur, Begusarai, Munger, and Bhagalpur are already experiencing a flood-like situation in the state, and nearly 13.5 lakh people living in low-lying areas have been affected by rising water levels of rivers, following torrential rainfall, officials said.

A large number of people from the affected districts have been evacuated and brought to relief camps, they said.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Water Resources Department (WRD) has sounded an alert for flood in areas along the swollen Kosi and Gandak rivers.

The water level of several rivers has been rising across the state, following continuous rainfall over the past two to three days, the officials said.

“Incessant rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to rivers touching or flowing above the danger level at several places in the bordering districts. Keeping the gravity of the situation in mind, the authorities in Bihar will lift some gates at Valmikinagar barrage on the Gandak river in the intervening night of September 27 and September 28, and release 6 lakh cusecs of water, the highest in the recent past,” a bulletin issued by the WRD said.

The authorities will also release 6.81 lakh cusecs of water around 12 noon on September 28 from the Kosi Birpur barrage, it said.

(With PTI inputs)

“A total of 43 bodies have been recovered so far. Further search operation is on,” Bihar’s the Disaster Management Department (DMD) said in a statement on Thursday.

According to officials, the drowning incidents took place in 15 districts of Bihar during the ‘Jivitputrika’ festival on Wednesday.

“The incidents of drowning were reported from East and West Champaran, Nalanda, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar, Siwan, Rohtas, Saran, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj and Arwal districts,” they said.

In an official statement, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the deaths and also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased.

The process of providing the ex-gratia has begun and family members of eight deceased have already received it, the statement said.

The ‘Jivitputrika’ festival celebrated in Bihar and other parts of the country during which women fast for the well-being of their children and both take holy dips in rivers, ponds, and other water bodies.

(With inputs from agencies)

After Devi found out that the neighbor’s boy had plucked the plant, she and her brood bound his feet with chains, tied him to a pole, following which the minor was beaten by the woman, her son, and daughters, they said.

The boy’s family rushed to the spot and freed him from the torturous ordeal after learning about the incident. The boy sustained severe injuries in the attack and was rushed to a local hospital for treatment where his condition is reported to be stable.

A video of the incident went viral on social media sites, showing the 14-year-old boy lying unconscious with chains on his feet as his family weeps while a large crowd watches in silence.

Police said they have taken cognizance of the incident and registered an FIR against Sumitra Devi and her children.

A senior official said the accused are on the run and search teams have been deployed to nab them at the earliest. In an official statement, Begusarai SP Maneesh said Devi and her kids fled the village after the incident and efforts are underway to arrest them

Further investigation in the case is underway, the SP added.

Singh then draped the naive boy in a fake IPS officer’s uniform, gave him a pistol (its unknown whether the gun was a fake too), and sent him on his way to a nearby police station after convincing him that he was now an “IPS officer”.

However, as soon as Kumar walked into police station, things did not turn out the way Singh had “promised” the teen they would, as he was arrested by the police for masquerading as an IPS officer.

A video of the bizarrely funny incident was shared by the National Crime Investigation Bureau (NCIB), a reputed NGO, showing Mithilesh being escorted by cops to the Sikandara Police Station in Jamui.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

बिहार के जमुई में 2 लाख रुपये में बना फ़र्ज़ी IPS pic.twitter.com/Xk4MmZdER5

— VIRAL VIBES (@viral_vibess) September 22, 2024

“Please sir, come, IPS. Come to our Sikandara Police Station,” a police officer is heard saying in a sarcastic tone as the fake officer hands his pistol to the cops.

“In Jamui, Bihar, an 18-year-old boy became an IPS officer without passing the UPSC. When the police asked him, he said, ‘I am an IPS officer.’ Watch the video to see what happened next,” NCIB captioned the video in its X post.

The video has gone viral on social media sites with many users demanding strict action against the man who duped Mithilesh Kumar, while also chuckling at the boy’s naivety.

बिहार के जमुई में 2 लाख रुपये में बना फ़र्ज़ी IPS pic.twitter.com/Xk4MmZdER5

— VIRAL VIBES (@viral_vibess) September 22, 2024

Notably, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of toughest in the country with thousands of aspirants giving their blood, sweat, and tears while preparing to crack the test and becoming and IPS or IAS officer. However, Manoj Singh somehow convinced a naive Bihar boy that he would “make him” an IPS officer without going through all that ‘trouble’.

In a statement, the ECR stated that due to flood water touching the girder of bridge 195 between Sultanganj and Ratanpur stations, many trains have been cancelled and routes of several others passing through Jamalpur-Bhagalpur division diverted.

“The flood water touched the girder of the bridge at 11.45 pm on Saturday. Besides, at certain places in the Jamalpur-Bhagalpur division, several rivers are flowing above the danger mark,” the statement read.

Cancelled Trains Are:

Jamalpur- Kiul Memu Special, Saraigarh–Deoghar Special, Bhagalpur-Danapur Intercity Express, and Patna-Dumka Express.

Diverted Trains Are:

Anand Vihar-Malda Town Express, Vikramshila Express, Howrah-Gaya Express, Ajmer-Bhagalpur Express, Surat-Bhagalpur SF Express, and Brahmaputra Mail.

As per the statement, as many as four trains were short-terminated.

On Saturday, the station officials reported a train engine derailment at Muzaffarpur Junction. The mishap unfolded around 8:40 in the evening during an everyday rearranging operation, causing several wheel pairs to leap off the rails. Thankfully, the issue was swiftly dealt with within an hour, ensuring the railway services continued smooth and unhampered.

(with PTI inputs)

In a bid to defend herself, the nurse used a blade to inflict a cut on Dr. Sanjay Kumar’s private parts, allowing her to escape. She fled to a nearby field and immediately contacted the police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sanjay Kumar Pandey stated that after receiving the nurse’s distress call, a police team was dispatched to the hospital. They successfully apprehended Dr. Sanjay Kumar and his two accomplices. The nurse has been taken into safe custody, and further investigations are ongoing.

DSP Kumar noted that the accused cut off the connection of the CCTV cameras and had locked the hospital from the inside before trying to assault the nurse sexually. “The presence of mind and courage shown by the survivor is praiseworthy,” he said.

The police have recovered half a bottle of liquor, the blade used by the nurse, blood-stained clothes and three cellphones. Officials said the three men had been drinking before trying to assault the nurse and they will also be charged under prohibition laws because Bihar is a dry state.

This incident comes just a month after a trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The brutal crime triggered nationwide protests and an indefinite strike by junior doctors in West Bengal, highlighting ongoing concerns about the safety of medical professionals, particularly women.

The RJD leader said that Nitish had apologised for joining the BJP-led NDA at his residence.

“Hamare ghar jab aaye to haath jodkar maafi maang rahe the. He had asked for forgiveness in front of all the MLAs, they were all witnesses. How many times in the House has he apologised with folded hands, saying that he had made a mistake and that he will not join the BJP now?” he said.

Tejashwi Yadav categorically ruled out any possibility of a future alliance with the Janata Dal (United) in the Bihar assembly polls.

“His oath has no value. No one trusts him, as he may change his mind anytime. Twice we took pity on him and gave him life and both times he showed his real form. This time there is no meaning,” Tejashwi added.

Notably, Nitish Kumar’s political career has been marked by a dizzying array of alliances over the past two decades. In 2015, Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) formed a partnership, securing victory in the Bihar polls. Kumar took the reins as Chief Minister, with Yadav as his deputy.

However, this alliance was short-lived. In 2017, Kumar ditched the RJD to join forces with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He retained his Chief Minister seat.

Fast-forward to 2022, and Kumar once again switched sides, abandoning the BJP to rekindle his alliance with the RJD. But in a shocking turn of events, Kumar flip-flopped yet again in January, returning to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold.

(With ANI Inputs)

VIDEO | Magadh Express decoupled on Buxar-DDU-Patna rail section.

(Source: Third Party)#Trainderailment pic.twitter.com/assF7s4lYJ

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 8, 2024

Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway Sharswati Chandra told news agency PTI that the incident took place when the coupling of the Magadh Express (20802) from New Delhi to Islampur broke down. He stated that rescue teams have reached the spot.

“Yes, the incident took place when the coupling of the Magadh Express (20802) from New Delhi to Islampur broke, splitting the train into two between Turiganj and Raghunathpur railway stations. A rescue team as well as technical teams have reached the spot and officials are trying to rectify it at the earliest,” PTI quoted Chandra as saying.

The railway authorities have ordered an inquiry to probe the exact cause of the incident, Chandra added.

In July this year, the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express faced a mishap as eight of its carriages veered off the tracks close to the Gonda railway station in Uttar Pradesh. This unfortunate incident led to the loss of three precious lives and left 30 others nursing injuries.

The train had set off from the station in Chandigarh at a late-night hour of 11:35 pm in July, embarking on a journey towards Dibrugarh, located in Assam. However, disaster struck on a seemingly ordinary Thursday afternoon. Roughly at half-past two (2:35 pm, to be precise), the train met with an accident. The unfortunate incident happened somewhere in between two stations – Motiganj and Jhilahi, situating in the Gonda district.

The Bihar Chief minister said that he committed the mistake twice but it won’t be repeated again.

“Our relationship goes back to the 1990s… all the good work in Bihar has been done under our stewardship”, said the JD(U) supremo, whose outfit was earlier called the Samata Party.

Referring to the RJD, without mentioning it by name, the CM said, “Those who were in power before me did nothing. It was a mistake on my part to have gone with them on two occasions. But I do not wish to repeat that mistake. I shall stay here (with the NDA)”.

The Bihar Chief Minister, who had returned to the NDA in January, kept asserting during Lok Sabha polls, especially at rallies where he shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that he would now be with the BJP “forever”.

Kumar’s latest proclamation of loyalty towards the BJP, which has now lost majority in the Lok Sabha and become heavily dependent on allies like JD(U) to survive in power at the Centre, comes in the backdrop of his recent meeting with Lalu Prasad’s son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who served as his deputy whenever he shared power with the RJD.

On this occasion, JP Nadda recalled the achievements of the Modi government in the health sector in the past ten years.

“There were 6 All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) institutions, but now there are 22,” the Union Health Minister said. He also thanked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for providing land for AIIMs in Darbhanga.

“I thank Nitish Kumar for providing land in Darbhanga. I am going to Darbhanga tomorrow, where a new AIIMS will be established there at the Pilnath level,’ JP Nadda added.

“I am very happy to come to Bihar. In the country, there are 75 new super-speciality blocks, of which 5 are in Bihar,” he added.

Highlighting the achievements of the Union government’s Ayushman Bharat health coverage scheme, he said, “India has the world’s largest health coverage program, the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which supports poor people by providing 5 lakh rupees to 55 crore individuals.”

The Minister stated that India is number one in terms of universal health coverage. While speaking about the importance of IGMS hospital, he said, “The IGIMS hospital here serves not just Bihar but also people from Bengal, Odisha, and Nepal. I congratulate the institute here for doing excellent work”. Union Minister JP Nadda also visited the residence of CM Nitish Kumar, in Patna.

“The modular operation theatre features world-class and the latest technology machines, dedicated to the people of Bihar” he added.

On this occasion, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, “Earlier, the number of beds in IGIMS was 770. Later, a decision was made to increase the number of beds to 2500. Currently the hospital has 1370 and a 1200 super specialty hospital will be constructed by next year.”

“The health conditions were very bad in 2005. There was a shortage of medicines and doctors in the hospital, and 39 patients used to come for primary health in a month. Earlier, 39 patients used to come in a month but now 11 thousand patients visit every month. In 2006, when our government was formed, a decision was taken to provide free medicines,” the Bihar Chief Minister added.
Talking about his political decision of returning to the NDA fold, he said that we (JDU) made mistakes by joining hands with them (RJD and Congress), and we will never go to that side again.

“The representation of Muslims in Bihar Assembly is currently limited to 19 MLAs despite the community constituting 18 to 19 per cent of the state’s population. We are committed to allocate 40 seats to Muslims,” said Kishor while addressing a gathering at Bapu Sabhagar Patna.

He accused the JDU, RJD, and Congress of taking the votes of the Muslims without providing adequate participation, rights, or development to the community. He said that the Jan Suraaj aims to ensure representation for every community proportional to its population in Bihar.

“Muslim participation in Jan Suraaj would not be limited to ticket distribution or government formation but would extend to the party’s organisational structure as well,” Kishore said adding that if 25 people are leading the Jan Suraaj, four to five of them would be from the Muslim community.

“I am not asking for votes out of mere political convenience but urging the community to vote for Jan Suraaj for their children’s future and rights,” he said.

He called for a revival of the ideologies of leaders like Gandhi, Ambedkar, Lohia, and JP, asserting that their principles are more relevant today than ever.

“I supported Narendra Modi in 2014, and from 2015 to 2021, I backed parties and leaders opposing the BJP. The BJP, with only 37 per cent of the vote share, managed to form the government in Delhi three times, despite the country having an 80 per cent Hindu population. This is an indication that 40 per cent of Hindus voted against the BJP, opposing the ideology of hatred politics,” Prashant Kishor said.

(With IANS inputs)

“I was very much in a new team in which Nitish Kumar is party’s national president with Sanjay Kumar Jha as its national working president… I just felt I’d done my job enough. There is little to defend the party from,” Indian Express quoted Tyagi as saying.

JDU Appoints Rajiv Ranjan Prasad As The New National Spokesperson

In Bihar, the JD(U), under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has revealed that Rajiv Ranjan Prasad has been appointed as the party’s national spokesperson. This news follows the announcement that Nitish Kumar, the party’s president and Bihar’s Chief Minister, has accepted Tyagi’s resignation due to “personal reasons”.

Tyagi’s Struggle To Back JDU On Controversial Matters

Sources from JD(U) in Patna told Indian Express that Tyagi’s struggle to back the party on some controversial matters. His dilemma has been especially noticeable since the party rejoined the National Democratic Alliance, which is spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party, this year.

Tyagi, a well-respected Delhi personality, often shares persuasive viewpoints on matters such as the Uniform Civil Code, the Waqf Bill’s amendments, and the government’s stand on Palestine, presenting himself as a seasoned commentator. Reportedly, news agency PTI has gathered that his strong stands haven’t been taken well by several JD(U) members, creating an uncomfortable scenario for the BJP.

Tyagi is well-known for his deep-rooted perspectives on sensitive matters such as the Uniform Civil Code, proposed changes to the Waqf Bill, and the government’s stance on Palestine. He is viewed as a seasoned analyst. However, news agency PTI reports imply that his assertive views have ruffled some feathers within the ranks of JD(U), putting the BJP in a challenging position.

The incident occurred during Singh’s Janta Darbaar in Begusarai on Saturday.

As he was leaving the venue following his address, a group of miscreants allegedly tried to attack him and raised “Muradabad” slogans.

Following this, one person was detained by the officials.

Begusarai Superintendent of Police, Manish confirmed the accused person has been arrested for “behaving indecently” during the event and tried to break the security cordon.

The accused has been identified as Shahzad alias Saifi.

“One person has been arrested. The Union Minister Giriraj Singh had a program in the Ballia subdivision this afternoon, during which a person behaved indecently. The policemen present in the security cordon caught him and further action is underway,” the SP said.

“The person’s name is Shahzad alias Saifi, he was caught behaving indecently and trying to break the security cordon. He is a resident of Ballia and is said to be a ward councillor,” he added.

Giriraj Singh, the Minister of Textiles and BJP MP from Begusarai, strongly condemned the incident and said he won’t get scared by these attacks.

“I am Giriraj and I will always speak and fight for the interests of the society. I am not going to be scared by these attacks. Those who pamper and caress them on seeing their beard and cap should see today how land jihad, love jihad and communal tension is being created in the entire country including Begusarai, Bihar,” Giriraj Singh stated in a post on X.

मैं गिरिराज हूँ और मैं हमेशा समाज के हितों के लिए बोलता रहूंगा,संघर्ष करता रहूंगा।
इन हमलों से मैं डरने वाला नहीं।

दाढ़ी-टोपी देखकर उनको पुचकारने और सहलाने वाले लोग आज देख लें कि किस प्रकार बेगुसराय बिहार सहित पूरे देश में लेंड जिहाद-लव जिहाद और साम्प्रदायिक तनाव पैदा किया जा… pic.twitter.com/iqu8ccnGuc

— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) August 31, 2024

He said that if the miscreant had a revolver in his hand, he would have killed him. He also reiterated Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “Batenge to Katenge” remark.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, “In this election, the attitude of Muslims towards me in Begusarai and the results that came, Yogi Adityanath rightly said that, “Batenge to Katenge”. If this man had a revolver in his hand, he would have killed me the way he attacked me. However, his attack failed. He used very abusive language.”

“I will not get afraid and will continue my work. No matter how many terror mongers come, it will not affect me. Muslims in my area protested so much, the result of which was that they got so much courage that when I was in the janta darbar, despite the presence of many SDOs, DSPs, he behaved so rudely,” he added.

#WATCH बेगूसराय, बिहार: केंद्रीय मंत्री गिरिराज सिंह ने बेगूसराय में एक कार्यक्रम के दौरान अपने ऊपर हुए कथित हमले पर कहा, “इस चुनाव में बेगूसराय में मुसलमानों का मेरे प्रति जो रवैया रहा और जो नतीजे आए, उसके अनुसार योगी आदित्यनाथ ने सही कहा कि बटोगे तो कटोगे। अगर इस आदमी के हाथ… pic.twitter.com/Tur9ACHhky

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) August 31, 2024

(With ANI inputs)

Kanoongo also questioned the involvement of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in designing such a curriculum for madrasas, calling it the “height of appeasement by both UNICEF and the Madrasa Board”. He called on the United Nations to investigate these activities and urged that the Madrasa Board be dissolved.

On Sunday, August 18, he posted on X: “In the state of Bihar, Talimul Islam and other similar books are being taught in the government funded Madrasas. In this book, non-Islamics are declared as Kafirs. It has been reported that Hindu children are also being admitted in these madrasas but the Bihar government is not giving official information on the number ratio. Madrasa is not a place for basic education of children in any form, children should study in school and Hindu children should not be in Madrasas at all, Madrasa Board should be dissolved.”

बिहार राज्य में सरकारी फ़ंडिंग से चलने वाले मदरसों में तालिमुल इस्लाम व ऐसी ही अन्य किताबें पढ़ाई जा रहीं हैं,इस किताब में ग़ैर इस्लामिकों को काफ़िर बताया गया है।
इन मदरसों में हिंदू बच्चों को भी दाख़िला दिए जाने की सूचना मिली है परंतु बिहार सरकार संख्या अनुपात की अधिकारिक… pic.twitter.com/vjySGSjxrQ

— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) August 18, 2024

He raised concerns that Hindu children are also reportedly enrolled in these madrasas, but the Bihar government is yet to provide official figures.

On the question of transferring Hindu children from madrasas to regular schools, the Bihar Madrasa Board reportedly stated that the madrasa curriculum was prepared by UNICEF India, Kanoongo said in his post and condemned it, saying it was the “height of appeasement” by both the bodies.

“It is not the UNICEF’s job to create a radical curriculum using money received as donations and grants from governments, under the guise of child protection,” read his post.

Kanoongo said that many books included in the curriculum of these madrasas are published in Pakistan and research on their content is ongoing.

“A madrasa is not a place for basic education of children in any form, children should study in regular schools and Hindu children should not be in madrasas at all,” Kanoongo said.

(With PTI inputs)

The series of bridge collapses in Bihar continues to raise alarm bells as another incident occurred in Sultanpur, Bhagalpur district. On Saturday morning, the No. 9 pillar and slab of the under-construction Agwani bridge collapsed into the Ganges River. This unfortunate event marks the third collapse of the bridge, which has been under construction for a staggering 11 years. The recent collapse was attributed to flooding and strong currents in the Ganges, causing a section of the bridge above pillar No. 9 to suddenly give way and fall into the river. With an estimated construction cost of Rs. 17,000 crores, the repeated failures of the structure have sparked widespread concern.

Meanwhile, some locals managed to capture the dramatic incident on camera, with the video quickly circulating on social media platforms.

VIDEO | Bihar: A portion of under-construction Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge over Ganga River collapses. More details awaited.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/csfUVVOx17

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 17, 2024

A suicide note has been found at the spot, with Pankaj reportedly confessing to having murdered his wife, two children and mother, before killing himself.

Talking to reporters, Bhagalpur Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vivekanand said, “The incident might have taken place in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. According to locals, a milkman saw the bodies lying in pools of blood and informed Neetu Kumari’s neighbours.”

A police team reached the spot and found some bodies on the bed and some on the floor while Pankaj’s body was found hanging from the ceiling, he said.

“Police are investigating the matter. According to locals, Neetu and Pankaj had a heated argument over some trivial issue outside their quarters in the Police Lines on Monday night.

“In the suicide note, Pankaj claimed that the reason behind taking the extreme step was his wife’s illicit affair with someone. The matter is being examined further,” he added.