BJP worker shot at during party meet

PATNA/MADHEPURA: A BJP worker sustained bullet injuries as members of rival factions came to blows and opened fire during a party meeting in Madhepura district on Sunday.
The meeting was postponed. One BJP leader was arrested and sent to jail, police said.
Reports said a meeting of the local BJP functionaries had been called in the Murlignaj block town as part of the party's Maha Jansampark Abhiyan to highlight the achievements of PM Narendra Modi government during the past nine years.Former deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad, former minister Neeraj Kumar Babloo and local BJP leader Ravindra Charan Yadav were likely to attend the meeting.
Even as the meeting was to formally begin, an altercation broke out between BJP workers Pankaj Kumar Nirala and Sanjay Kumar Bhagat over some issue. Nirala lost his cool and resorted to firing from his licensed pistol, targeting Bhagat, who sustained bullet injuries in his waist and was rushed to the local hospital for treatment, SDPO Ajay Narayan Yadav said.
"We have arrested Nirala with his pistol and sent him to jail. Action is also being taken to cancel the licence of his pistol," the SDPO said in a press statement, adding they fought over money issue.
However, the accused told the media that he fired in self-defence. Witnesses said the firing triggered chaos in the meeting hall as the rival groups indulged in fisticuffs. TV footage showed the rival groups raining lathi blows on one another and also hurling plastic chairs to vent their anger. Reports said BJP district president Deepak Kumar was also beaten up when he tried to intervene. The situation could be brought under control only after the police reached the spot and rained lathis to calm down the rival groups.
Former deputy CM Prasad said he skipped the meeting on getting information about the incident. "While I was about to leave for the meeting, I got the information about the quarrel and cancelled my visit. The meeting has been deferred," Prasad told TOI.
BJP has been holding Jan Sampark Abhiyan across the state to make the people aware about the achievements of Modi government at the Centre.