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Patna, June 2 (IANS) Violence erupted as thousands Saturday joined the funeral procession of Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh 'Mukhiya', who was killed a day earlier at Ara in Bihar.
As the procession entered Patna for the cremation, Singh's supporters set afire a police outpost, and attacked police personnel and mediapersons, said the police.
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They also attacked state Bharatiya Janata Party president C.P. Thakur and damaged his vehicle, a police official said.
Brahmeshwar Singh, in his 70s, was killed Friday morning in Ara town in Bhojpur district, triggering violence by supporters of Ranvir Sena, an outlawed upper caste vigilante group.
The procession began from Ara, about 60 km from here.
Hundreds of people on motorcycles carrying bamboo sticks and iron rods targeted vehicles in Bihta and Danapur near Patna before entering the city, said a police official.
As the procession entered Patna, they indulged in arson, said the official.
"The supporters pelted stones at vehicles of top police officials and also damaged vehicles of mediapersons," said the official.
Police said the supporters also chased away rebel Janata Dal-United MP Lalan Singh, former union minister Akhilesh Singh, BJP legislators Anil Kumar Sharma and Usha Vidayarthi when they came to take part in the funeral procession.
Hundreds of vehicles formed part of the three-kilometre long convey. The slain man will be cremated at Banshghat in Patna.
As they walked, Singh's supporters shouted slogans against the Bihar government and demanded death to the killers.
Police said the supporters were pouring into Patna from Gaya, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Arwal, Bhojpur and Patna districts.
Elaborate security has been made in Patna to ensure peace, police said.
Deputy Inspector General Sunil Kumar said the Rapid Action Force, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Bihar Military Police have been deployed along the funeral route.
After Singh was killed Friday, his supporters attacked police vehicles and government offices in Ara.
The circuit house in the town was set on fire and nearly a dozen other vehicles, including a bus, were torched.
comments...
Really sad.. I woke up in the morning ,elated to see that Bihar is the most rapidly growing state in India.
On the flip side, when I switch on my TV... I see this really bizarre thing going on... "Brahmeshwar singh funeral - leading to arson and violence in Patna" ...brought back old memories... Bihar in 90's.
The series of events raises few questions:
1. Why would the administration allow his supporters to lead a procession from Ara to Patna? A common person like me can sense this can lead to violence , why wouldn't the Bihar administration?
2. Even if this was allowed and when it started going berserk, why the police kept mum the entire day? Is this the so called "Kannon ka raaj"?
The concerning thing is that when people have started taking Bihar seriously , events like these hits the state image big time... so people involved here should rethink....if we are doing any good for our state.
sumit kumar
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