12 killed on second day of Central rule

Arun Srivastava

PATNA, Feb 14: While Governor Sundar Singh Bhandari promised to give top priority to law and order in Bihar, seven people were shot in Jehanabad and four burnt in Patna on Day Two of President's rule in the state. As a nervous administration geared up to face the 12-hour Rashtriya Janata Dal-sponsored bandh tomorrow, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samata Party began fighting over their share of the Governor's rule.

Suspected CPI-ML (PWG) men struck today in Usri Bazar in Jehanabad killing seven persons on the spot. Chief Secretary V.S. Dubey told The Indian Express late tonight that he has been getting conflicting reports about the incident and the picture was not clear.

Though the officials described the killing as a sequel to the long-standing feud between the CPI-ML (liberation) and CPI-ML (PWG), the state spokesman of the Liberation said the claim was absurd. ``Show me a single incident where the Liberation and PWG have entered into bloody clash,'' office secretary Prabhat Kumar said.He said the clash was between the Ranabir Sena and the PWG.

Reports reaching Patna reveal that a group of armed men attacked the cloth shop of Nawal Kishore Sharma, a Bhumihar and killed him along with six others. Among those who were killed, four belonged to the upper caste Bhumihar. According to local contacts, nearly 20 armed men sprayed bullets indiscriminately. All the seven were killed on the spot.

Four members of a Yadav family, including three children, were burnt alive and as many seriously injured when unidentified assailants set ablaze a thatched house in Patna district last night. The assailants sprinkled petrol and set afire the house of Ram Singh after locking the house at Kothia village under Sahpur police station, police said.

Rashtriaya Janata Dal activist Ramlal Yadav was today gunned down by unidentified assailants at Jaganpura under Phulwari Sharif police station. Unidentified assailants fired indiscriminately at Yadav, police said.

Reacting sharply to the incident ofburning of a Yadav family, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister L.K. Advani and Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari. ``They (BJP-Samata) were making a hue and cry at the Ranabir Sena assault on the rural poor. Why are they are silent when Yadavs are burnt? They should demand the dismissal of Bhandari,'' he said.

According to the villagers, the family of Ram Singh had a fight with local moneylenders, who belong to the Rajputs and Kurmis. The villagers as well the police said that the murder was purely ``money-related.''

Meanwhile in Patna, the fight over the spoils of Governor's rule between the two allies began just 48 hours after the President's rule was imposed in the state. Fearing that the BJP is playing the Big Bother and trying to make most of the Governor's rule, Union Railways Minister and Samata Party leader Nitish Kumar today met the Governor with a suggestion to form an advisory council of the BJP-Samata to help him in running the Government.

Sources saythat the Samata Pary was irritated over the BJP's interest in the posting of officials in key positions. Kumar told reporters that the government should not hurry about the transfers and postings. ``The role of the Samata should not be neglected and its views must be obtained on such issues,'' he said.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of tomorrow's RJD-sponsored 12-hour bandh in protest against the imposition of President rule. State director general of police T.P. Sinha here said police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) had been deployed at vulnerable points to avert any untoward incident.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 Cr Pc had been clamped in all the towns and the district authorities directed to take all preventive measures, he said.

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