The Bihar Police on Saturday arrested former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Jawahar Prasad for inciting violence in Sasaram town during Ram Navami rally on March 31.
Prasad, a five-time former MLA, was among the 67 persons arrested in connection with the Hindutva violence.
A police team reached the saffron politician’s house and took him to the nearby police station. His supporters reached the police station and started raising slogans against the police, reports Hindustan Times.
Rohtas Superintendent of Police, Vineet Kumar, said to Indian Express that the BJP leader was apprehended on Saturday following an investigation that revealed his involvement in the violence.
Planned violence against Muslims were reported in several parts of Bihar during Ram Navami festivities. Besides Sasaram, violence was reported in Rohtas, Biharsharif, Nalanda, Bhagalpur, Gaya and Munger.
Meanwhile, The BJP alleged that Prasad’s arrest was part of the Nitish Kumar government’s “minority appeasement politics”.
Three BJP local leaders– Shivnath Choudhary, Sonu Sinha and Robin Keshri– had surrendered before the court on Friday after they were accused of anti-Muslim violence.
The Rohtas police have arrested 67 persons and lodged four separate FIRs in connection with the violence.
Days before, Bajrang Dal convenor of Nalanda district, Kundan Kumar, involved in Hindutva violence in Bihar Sharif town, surrendered before the police after the authorities started property attachment of his house.
