Centre seeks report from Mamata on WB clashes, 'ignores' Nitish on Bihar violence

The Opposition on Wednesday accused the Centre of having double standards after it sought a report from the West Bengal government on violence during Ram Navami processions but refrained from asking the same from Bihar on communal violence in the state.

Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United is an NDA ally and ruling in Bihar with BJP's support.

NEW DELHI: The Opposition on Wednesday accused the Centre of having double standards after it sought a report from the West Bengal government on violence during Ram Navami processions but refrained from asking the same from Bihar on communal violence in the state. Both the states -- West Bengal and Bihar -- have been under the grip on communal clashes as several incidents of arson and violence were reported from many places. The Ministry of Home Affairs asked the Mamata Banerjee government to send a report about the incident, the steps being taken to restore normalcy and the action taken against those involved in the violence. At least two persons were killed and nearly a dozen others injured, some of them seriously, in intermittent violence involving Ramanavami processions at various places in West Bengal, including Purulia, Murshidabad, Bardhman West and Raniganj. RJD MP Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav alleged that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government refrained from seeking a report on Bihar violence because a Union Minister's son was booked for inciting riots in the state and evading his arrest. He held BJP ministers responsible for spreading hate propaganda. "Union minister Ashwini Choubey's son Arjit Shashwat has been booked for inciting violence in Bihar but he is still roaming free. Such an attitude gives rise to anti-social activities and boosts the morale of those who indulge in violence," Yadav said. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United is an NDA ally and ruling in Bihar with BJP's support. After clashes in Bhagalpur and Aurangabad, Bihar witnessed another spate of communal violence in Samastipur and Munger districts on Tuesday. Tension ran high in Samastipur's Rosera after clashes erupted between two groups following a dispute. On Sunday, clashes had erupted in Aurangabad between members of two communities during a Ram Navami procession. Over 50 persons were arrested for inciting tension in the district. The state government has deputed senior IPS officer Gupteshwar Pandey to Aurangabad to restore peace and harmony in trouble-torn areas of the district. A week earlier, communal violence had erupted in Bhagalpur over playing of loud music during a religious procession which was being led by Arijit Shashwat, son of Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey.