The alleged stoppage of the convoy of six bodies of Central Reserve Police Force jawans, killed in Chhattisgarh, in Patna Airport area for security reasons as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was attending a function nearby created a row on Wednesday.
While Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj denied that the vehicles, carrying the bodies of the jawans, were stopped, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders referred to some TV channels’ purported footage showing the opposite and criticised the chief minister.
“I have enquired about the event and have been told that the movement of the convoy accompanied by special escort pilots was not stopped,” Manu Maharaj told reporters.
Asked about the purported TV footages, the Patna SSP said he had not seen them.
The chief minister was attending the foundation day function of the Bihar Road Development Corporation adjacent to the exit gate of the Airport in Patna.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi dubbed the incident as ‘unfortunate’ and said ‘the CM should have shown sensitivity in this regard’.
Sushil Modi also attacked Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav for ‘sitting a few distance away, but not visiting the Airport to pay tribute when the bodies of the martyrs had come last evening’.
Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad said ‘the CM is a sensitive man. He must not be knowing about the movement of bodies of the martyrs’.
Senior Janata Dal-United leader Shyam Rajak came down heavily on the saffron party for making the controversy.
“Who does not know how sensitive Nitish Kumar is about such things. The BJP is spinning false stories for petty political gains,” Rajak, who is deputy leader in the state assembly, said.
Rajak was present at the Patna Airport to receive the bodies of the jawans and paid tributes.
Kumar had on Tuesday expressed grief over killing of 25 CRPF jawans in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh on Monday and announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia each to the six soldiers who hailed from Bihar.
IMAGE: Bodies of slain CRPF jawans kept at Patna airport. Photograph: PTI Photo
