Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s supporters clash with those of BJP RS member R K Sinha who was also aspiring for the Patna Sahib seat; third aspirant Shatrughan is joining Congress
Patana: The premises of JP International Airport turned into a battlefield on Tuesday morning when two groups of BJP workers clashed.
On one side were the supporters of Rajya Sabha member R K Sinha; and, on the other side, were the cheerleaders of union minister Ravishankar Prasad; they clashed and chased each other on the airport premises, causing much distress to the passengers.
The CISF, which is responsible for the security of the airport, had to intervene and pacify the BJP workers. Eventually, Prasad had to be escorted to the BJP office under heavy police cover. Later, the airport police detained three supporters of Sinha.
This was Prasad’s first visit to Bihar after he was named BJP candidate from Patna Sahib, in place of film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha. Shatru, meanwhile, is all set to join the Congress and file his papers against Prasad. Incidentally, R K Sinha, an old timer from Jan Sangh days, was also an aspirant for the BJP ticket from Patna Sahib, where he had rebuilt a huge temple of Chitragupta, the presiding deity of the Kayasthas.
All the three major players in the Patna Sahib election are Kayasthas – Shatrughan, Prasad and R K Sinha. Commenting on the clash between the two BJP groups at the airport, leader of the opposition, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, said the BJP workers had exhibited their cult of violence and intolerance. Incidentally, Union minister Giriraj Singh, who has been nominated by BJP from Begusarai against a tough candidate, Left’s Kanhaiya Kumar, is already sulking on the sidelines.
