A youth, who flung a slipper at Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar at the Janata durbar here on Monday, was arrested by the police.
The youth, also called Nitish Kumar, hailing from Arwal district, 60 kms south-west of Patna, was ‘angry’ that the chief minister had banned ‘havans’ (offerings with fire to gods) between 9 am and 6 pm.
The Bihar government banned such oblations and ceremonies due to hundreds of fire outbreaks in the state due to severe heat, which has crossed the 44 degree centigrade mark in recent times.
“How can he as a Hindu proclaim a ban on religious ceremonies?” Kumar told the police soon after he was arrested.
Senior superintendent of police, Patna, Manu Maharaaj, said, “We are investigating the background of the youth and whether he was a part of a larger conspiracy”.
Kumar came with a memorandum to give the chief minister against the ban order but chose to throw the slipper, when the CM was going around talking to people over their grievances at the ‘Janata key durbar mein mukhyamantri”-a weekly public grievance redressal programme.
“He has been arrested for obstructing government work and creating ruckus” Maharaaj said. Police and administrative officials are also verifying his memorandum.
The chief minister, however, advised the police to let him go free saying he had forgiven him.
If sources are to be believed, Kumar had also created a scene at the Janata darbar of BJP leader and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, some time ago.
