Bihar CM expresses concern over attacks in the western state on non-Gujarati people

PATNA: On Monday the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar said that he has spoken to his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani and expressed concern over attacks in the western state on non-Gujarati people, including those from Bihar.

Condemning the alleged rape of a 14-month-old girl , which triggered the violent attacks, Nitish Kumar said the guilty must be punished but an entire community should not be "tarred with the same brush".

"Our government is aware and alert. I spoke to the Gujarat chief minister on Sunday. Our chief secretary and director general of police are also in touch with their counterparts in Gujarat," Kumar told reporters. The attacks intensified following the circulation of hate messages on social media. Police have arrested 342 people from various parts of Gujarat for allegedly attacking non-Gujaratis.

Meanwhile, a JD(U) leader in a two-page open letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, blamed the grand old party for the violence against Biharis. "You appointed your Gujarat MLA Alpesh Thakor as one of the national secretaries in-charge of Bihar and his outfit Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena is driving out migrant Biharis," Neeraj Kumar, a JD(U) MLC and spokesman, alleged.

Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav expressed strong resentment over the humiliation Biharis have to face everywhere in the country, Gujarat being only the latest instance.

He asked chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi to intervene and ensure that attacks on Biharis in Gujarat are stopped. "If that does not happen, we will ensure that no Gujarati is able to enter Bihar for any purpose whatsoever," Yadav said.