On cam: Patna official rains brutal lathi blows on protester holding tricolour aloft

Violent scenes surfaced from Bihar’s capital Patna on Monday where hundreds of protesters had gathered seeking multiple demands. The police resorted to baton-charge and water cannons to diffuse the situation. Amid the chaos, a video showing an official, allegedly the Patna ADM, brutally thrashing a protester lying on the ground and holding tricolour aloft has triggered outrage. 

The young protester can be seen rolling on the ground and crying in pain. He keeps the national flag aloft. Strong worded remarks followed from both the opposition as well as from representatives inside the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar.

An ally of Mahagathbandhan, state Congress spokesman Asit Nath Tiwari clamed that the official was Additional District Magistrate KK Singh.

“The official is K K Singh, an additional district magistrate with a reputation of high-handedness. During the COVID epidemic, he had commanded citizens to produce videos of themselves beating utensils failing which their applications will not be considered,” Tiwari said.

“We could have understood had the youngster been involved in stone-pelting or any type of physical violence himself. But beating up a tricolour-wielding young man who posed no menace is unacceptable and the official concerned must be punished.” he demanded.

BJP’s National media in-charge Amit Malviya hit out at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, saying that the police thrashing protesters in an inhumane way while the CM talks about 20 lakh jobs. 

Meanwhile, Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh has said that a two-member inquiry has been set up to look into the allegations and examine the video footage.

“The committee will submit its report in two days and action may be taken accordingly,” he said.

He also informed that trouble erupted at the Dak Bunglow crossing where 2 separate groups of protesters, one comprising candidates who had qualified the teachers' eligibility test and were seeking jobs and another consisting of workers of the Jan Adhikar Party, had converged. THey attempted to head towards the Raj Bhavan which is a couple of kilometres away.

“It was a huge crowd that could not have been allowed to proceed beyond Dak Bunglow crossing. Mild use of force was resorted to as they refused to disperse despite an offer that a five-member delegation can visit the Raj Bhavan along with a magistrate and submit a memorandum,” the DM said.

(With inputs from PTI)