Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday rebuked senior officials for mishandling local issues that precipitated protest and arson leading to police firing on protesters in Madhubani district.
"Whatever has happened in Madhubani district is not good and it would have been better had it been tackled appropriately by officials at the ground level," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of his Janata Durbar.
"I am not opposed to the democratic right to protest ... People have a right to protest even against the chief minister, but it should be peaceful," he said.
The chief minister noted that the delay in handing over the body of a boy Prashant Kumar Jha who was kidnapped and killed, stirred protests leading to violence, arson and damage to public property.
Kumar said that as soon as he came to know about violence he held a meeting with top civil and police officials and directed the local authorities to hand over the body besides transferring four officials.
He said that he had recommended a CBI probe into the kidnapping of the boy in which the alleged involvement of the District Project Officer, Education Jagatpati Chaudhary came to the fore.
The chief minister said that he ordered a judicial probe into the violence and police firing in Madhubani district and a letter by the Home Department has been sent to the Patna High Court chief justice for suggesting the name of a retired judge to head the probe panel.
As soon as the state government received the name of the retired judge, a notification for a judicial probe would be issued, Kumar said.
He disapproved damage to public property in Madhubani and said it would burden the state exchequer to replace and restore them.
PTI
