Youth hurls shoe at Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi in Patna

A shoe was on Monday hurled at Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi by a youth during his weekly public interaction programme 'Janata Durbar' at his residence in Patna.

The youth, identified as Amritosh Kumar from Chapra district, however, missed his target as the shoe fell near the Chief Minister.

Eyewitnesses said Kumar broke the queue, shouting that the state government was dividing the society on caste lines.

They said when the security personnel on duty caught hold of Kumar, he flung the shoe. He was then led out of the hall.

Kumar claimed that he came to the chief minister to complain about his being implicated in a false case by police.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana, who was present at the venue, said the youth has been detained and taken to Sachivalya Police Station for interrogation.

Action would be initiated against him after detailed inquiry into the matter, the SSP said.

Manjhi later told reporters that the youth, a postgraduate student, who was standing behind five or six persons in the queue, turned furious and created a scene before his turn came to talk to the Chief Minister about his problem.

"A probe is on into the incident," Manjhi said.

Asked about Kumar alleging that the state government was dividing the society on castes lines, the chief minister said, "I just talk about the poor who hail from SC, ST, extremely backward classes, OBC, minorities and even from forward castes and stress on their welfare."

Asked whether there was any political link to the incident, Manjhi said he was not aware of the details which would emerge only after the probe.

Asked whether the incident pointed to security lapses, the Patna SSP said, "How can police prevent people from coming to events wearing shoes? Such incidents are accidental.”

A woman had cut her wrist with a blade in one such public interaction programme when Nitish Kumar was the chief minister.

After the incident frisking was intensified at the chief minister's residence before people were allowed to go inside for the weekly programme.

Image: A postgraduate youth hurled a shoe at Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday. Photograph: PTI