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A man with an air gun was arrested on Saturday, an hour ahead of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Bihar’s West Champaran district, police said.
The arrested man has been identified as Mohd Sayeed, a resident of Chautarva village in the district, Ramnagar police station officer in-charge Bharatendu Dev said.
West Champaran Superintendent of Police Anand Kumar Singh said that Sayeed was interrogated by local police officials and Rahul’s security officers. "Police have seized his air gun along with a bag,” Singh said.
The arrest was made when a police officer spotted Sayeed with an air gun near the stage from where Rahul will address the rally.
Congress alliance partners Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad have expressed their inability to attend the rally because to their engagement with finalisation of candidates for the polls. Lalu's younger son Tejaswi Yadav, considered his heir apparent, would represent the RJD.
Janata Dal-United General Secretary and national spokesperson K C Tyagi and other senior party leaders would attend the rally.
The Champaran rally will be the first big show of the grand alliance after the 'Swabhiman rally' in Patna on August 30, which was attended by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar.
The grand alliance, in which RJD and JD-U will contest 100 seats each and the Congress 40 seats, is in direct fight with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar polls.
Assembly elections in Bihar will be fought in five phases between October 12 and November 5. The counting will be held on November 8.
Image: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi